Toyo Ito

Mediatheque
blurring Architecture, blurring boundaries

In March of 1995, a design competition for a new type of public

architecture took place. Arata Isozaki, the chairman of the jury, proposed
"mediatheque", a program that integrated a variety of facilities in order to seek
out the direction for this new type of public facility.

The guiding principles of the Mediatheque are

"to provide knowledge and culture at the forefront
"not extremities but nodes
"freedom from all barriers"

PLATE / flat slab, as thin as possible

TUBE / column, seaweed-like

SKIN / facade, screen

PLATE, TUBE, SKIN

express the three elements in its purist form

Toyo Ito's emphasis in designing architecture, to blur the boundary between architecture and urban space,
presented a simple solution and direction for the new mediatheque. The fundamental idea underlying the
design was the creation of public places and spaces that would be independent of specific functions to
accommodate the activities that are extremely complex. In essence, Ito liberated the discrepancies of the
various programmatic elements and proffered a new direction concomitant with the ideals of the media age.

Mediatheque is an example that has successfully achieved Ito's continuing emphasis to blur the boundary
between architecture and urban space. The struggle of maintaining the clarity of the diagram was to "blur" the
boundaries, not only in a physical sense, but also in a psychological sense.
Boundaries between
outside / inside
programmed space / open space
service users / service providers
space / people
are ambiguous and blurred.

1.0 TUBES
2.0 PLATES
3.0 SKIN
4.0 SEISMIC

1.0 TUBES
1.1 Concept | Development

The vertical load-bearing elements were initially conceived as trees made of thin metal mesh.
The intent of the meshes was to dissolve the traditional notions of a column and make it instead a space itself.
The meshes had to be transformed instead into bundles of thick steel tubes in order to satisfy the shear, seismic, lateral,
and gravity loads of the building structure. Within these structural parameters, though, the tree mesh concept largely
determined the final design of the bundles and tubes.

1.1 Concept | Development

Conceived as spaces themselves, the bundles of tubes are appropriately highly programmatic. The four corner bundles contain
elevators and stairs. In addition, mechanical systems such as air conditioning, water supply, sewage, drainage, electricity,
communication cables, and dumbwaiters all extend through these sheaves of tubes.

Both artificial and natural light are transmitted in these spaces as

well. Optical light-deflecting elements on the roof and on the tubes
bring daylight into the lowest levels of the building and are diffused
into the lower spaces through prisms and lenses within the sheaves.

1.2 Architecture | Detail

The initial vision of thin, free-form meshes rising and puncturing
the floor slabs singularly guided the development and detailing
of the sheaves.

1.2 Architecture | Detail

The raised floor & the suspended soffit are terminated well short
of the glass enclosure, providing a reveal which contributes
immensely to the idea that the sheaves penetrate through the
floor slabs and exist as the primary elements of the building.

1.2 Architecture | Detail

The end plates terminate and extend far above the hollow floor
construction, further giving an impression of penetration. The
plates are circular & mitigate the angled quality of the glass
enclosure.

1.2 Architecture | Detail

The 12mm steel tubes which support the mullion system are
extremely slender and are largely concealed behind the
horizontal mullions. The effect adds to the lightness of the
structure, as a glass skin seems to float around and enfold the
structural sheaves.

1.2 Architecture | Detail

The main tubes are selectively painted to emphasize the
reading that the bundles are a single piece extending through
the floors (even when they are composed and assembled in
sections). The end ring of each bundle section is painted black
rather than white, concealing the actual joint between the
bundle sections and the differing ring section.

1.2 Architecture | Detail

This shadowing effect through the thickness of the floor is very
effective and highlights the continuation of the vertical pipes
themselves through the building as free-flowing, continuous
sheaves.

1.3 Structure | Construction

Process
Beginning with a uniform orthogonal 3x4 grid of bundled tubes, the engineer was able to transform and irregularize the grid by
offsetting bundle center points and inserting additional bundles off the grid.

The engineer further varied bundle diameters and set the individual tube orientations at varying oblique angles within each
bundle to more closely achieve the flowing, free-form, asymmetric qualities that the architect envisioned.

1.3 Structure | Construction

Process
These manipulations were made possible only through computer simulation; load & moment recalculations, node verifications,
and member resizing with each successive transformation would have been much too laborious and slow with traditional
methods.

1.3 Structure | Construction

Structure
>> 13 structural sheaves of tubes (2-9m wide)
>> 4 corner sheaves
- complex, three-dimensional lattice structures
- bear gravity loads and provide rigidity to resist horizontal seismic forces.
- provide primary resistance to eccentricity of vertical loads from the slanting of bundles & offsets of
sheave center points from an orthogonal grid
>> 9 other sheaves
- more simple radial tube-ring structure
- bear gravity loads only
- some are twisted about z-axis to distribute loads more uniformly and reduce risk of buckling
>> tubes: fire-resistant steel. thick pipe section (139.8 241.8 mm in outside diameter)
tube thickness varies from 9 39mm depending on loading requirements

1.3 Structure | Construction

Construction
>> Sheaves are built in sections and are pre-fabricated and pre-welded in the manufacturers factories (Kawasaki Heavy
Industry Ltd.)
>> Sheaves are shipped to site as single weldment to be positioned and later welded to the sandwich floor plates and other
weldment sections on site.

1.3 Structure | Construction

Construction
>> Each weldment, or section, has a top ring with an I-section and a bottom ring composed of either an I-section (corner
sheave) or a single plate
>> the I-beam/plate of the section above is welded and bolted with high tension bolts to the top flange of the I beam below (with
a softer steel plate inserted between to reduce stresses).

1.3 Structure | Construction

Construction
>> The radial floor plate assembly pieces are then aligned with the sheaves
>> the top plate of the floor piece extends and rests directly on top of the flange of the upper I-section. Stiffening plates on the
topside and underside of the top plate provide rigidity at this connection.
>> the top plate of the floor piece is then welded to the sheave flange for the four corner sheaves and bolted to the sheave
flange for the other nine sheaves. The more orthogonally ribbed floor plates are then attached to the radial floor plate
afterwards.

1.3 Structure | Construction

Construction
>> All structural connections were welded by hand on site, including the sheave to floor connections. Due to the incredible
quantity and complexity of the welding required on site, thirty to forty shipyard workers were employed on site to work with the
construction specialists.

1.4 Fireproofing | Glazing

>> high performance fire-resistant steel was used for all structural members
>> all structural steel treated with 3 levels of fire-resisting paint.
>> fire-resistant cladding wraps the underside of the floor plates and extends into the sheave space to meet the lightweight
concrete on the topside.
>> framing for the glass is fireproofed and 3 types of glass were used to create adequate partitioning of floors from fire and
smoke including:
- heat-resistant glass (German-manufactured
- fireproof tempered glass (Japan-manufactured)
- wired glazing

2.0 PLATES
Conceptually, each floor of the Sendai Mediatheque
takes on a different character.
Recognizing the ever-increasing multi-tasking in todays
high-tech generation, Ito wanted to design a space that
can take on different activities and programs.
To further break the rigidity of highly specific functional
spaces, the space was defined by aggregation of
activities instead of designing the space according to the
specific programmatic function.
The spaces seek to transform themselves continuously
as the citizens of these neighborhoods appropriate the
space for their own activities.

Area 1
around the tubes

Area 1 requires load to be transmitted radially from the opening for the tubes. The web construction
around this area consists of steel beams, arranged triangularly, that transmit loads directly onto the Ibeam ring that is connected to the tubes.

Area 2
where tubes are
arranged in lines

Area 2 requires load to be transmitted in both directions equally to normalize the loads. The
structure here consists of beams that are arranged in square grid to spread out the loads onto Area
1.

Area 3
remaining floor plate

Area 3 occupies between Area 2s and the beams in this area are rectangularly organized to direct
the loads onto Area 2.

The plate construction in

Area 2 and Area 3 are
conventional
The rectangular alignment of
the beams in Area 3 is
utilized here to distribute the
load axially to Area 2.

These loads are then taken

into Area 2 via the y-axis and
re-direct to x axis in order to
spread the load into Area 1.

The complexity of the

construction Area 1 where
loads have to be
redistributed radially for the
transferal of the load onto the
tubes.

2.1

Area 1 requires load to be transmitted

radially from the opening for the
tubes. The web construction around
this area consists of steel beams,
arranged triangularly, that transmit
loads directly onto the I-beam ring
that is connected to the tubes.
Area 2 requires loads to be
transmitted in both directions equally
to normalize the loads. The structure
here consists of beams that are
arranged in square grid to spread out
the loads onto Area 1.

Area 3 occupies between Area 2s and

the beams in this area are
rectangularly organized to direct the
loads onto Area 2

The I-beam rings around the tubes are

prefabricated and brought to the site for
assembly.
Then the meshwork of Area 1 are
constructed on site and welded on top of the
I-beam rings of the 13 tubes.
The structure of Area 1 is then connected by
the square orthogonal matrix of Area 2.
Finally, the plates are completed by bolting
to the rectangular matrix of Area 1.
The plate is then topped with light weight
concrete along with a hollow floor
construction for the sub-floors.

3.0 faade | skin

3.1. Design intent

The faade/skin is treated as separate entity from the other structural components of Mediatheque.
Because of its transparent and immaterial quality, the skin does not distract visually from the tubes.

3.2 Double glazed south faade

The uses of glass fins, steel point fixing and tension rods minimize the connection joints, which further
reinforces the faade as one continuous piece. The plenum in between further lends the Mediatheque a
quality of openness.

3.3 Double functionality

The double skin faade acts as both an acoustic barrier and a buffer zone against solar gain.
The discontinuous aluminum bands on the surface of the glass conceal the floor slabs behind. Again, reinforcing the
separation between the three elements.

3.4 Aesthetics

While the faade is physically the most outer layer, it is the most recessive visually. The real and virtual worlds all
melt into a seamless condition onto the skin/screen.

4.0 SEISMIC

In protecting occupants of the building, it is quite rarely the failure of structural systems, but rather the
nonstructural systems failures (such as non-load-bearing wall, breakage of glass window panes,
falling ceiling fixtures, and stuck-elevators) that have contributed the most to human fatality, injury,
discomfort, and to property damage. But we assume that in high seismic zones, such as in Japan,
these issues have already been confronted and solved.

TUBE - PLATE detail

Foundation detail
Perimeter Wall detail

4.1 Vibration Theory | Foundation Detail | Perimeter Wall Detail

The general theory of plate tectonics stipulates that seismic forces
are created by earthquakes and manifest themselves in many
forms: ground ruptures in fault zones, ground failure, tsunamis, and
ground shaking.
These complex seismic forces demand a more systematic design
of building elements.
This symbiosis then, can be demonstrated by examining two
seismic theories
vibration theory
diaphragm theory
And three details
the foundation
perimeter wall
the plate-to-tube connection

Under the previously described

scenario of ground shaking,
vibration theory describes the
seismic force as a series of
harmonic motions (but one
should be aware that recent
studies tend to model these
motions as not simple
harmonic motions, but rather
eccentric), against which the
building needs to laterally resist
through its rigidity and damping

The Mediatheque, then, also employs both a base isolation device at the basement level
and multiple dampening systems to include the perimeter wall to resist seismic forces in
a manner that begins to reinforce the conceptualization of a simple building of tubes,
plates and skin.

At the perimeter, the plate is supported at

points and is allowed to move in a socket, a
type of roller connection. The socket, of
course, is lined with plastic absorptive
material, and therefore the connection is also
designed as a dampening device that could
absorb the seismic vibration energy.
However, there dampening devices, at the
perimeter wall and at the connection
between the tubes and foundation, provide
little solace for major earthquakes that are
prone to occur in Japan.

4.2 Diaphragm Theory | Tube-Plate Detail

The Mediatheques rigid structure is composed of

four major tubes that resist both lateral and
vertical loads and a diaphragm plate that
transmits lateral loads to the tubes. While the
four major tubes, located at the corners of the
building in plan, provide a rigid structure, the rigid
diaphragm plate maintains the rigidity of the
structure by transmitting lateral loads to the
tubes. Since the details of the tubes and plates
have been discussed, it is important to
understand the diaphragm theory that requires
the plate and tubes to act together in resisting
lateral loads.

The photograph and drawing shows that the connection

between the diaphragm and the corner tubes relies on
both welded connections and bolted connections. The Ibeam at the edge of the floor plate is welded to form the
edge of the plate and then bolted to the I-beam that
connects to the tubular steel. The I-beam that connects
to the tubular steel are, in turn, welded to the tubular
steel. Hence, we may be able to attribute the use of bolts
rather than welds as an efficient method of constructing
the building rather than for performance issues. At any
rate, no matter which type of moment connection was
used, the connection between the diaphragm and the
tubular steel would be profoundly different from the
connection used only to resist vertical forces.

For the vertically supporting tubes, the

edges of the floor plate are simply
connected to the I-beam that connects the
tube. In this respect, although a line is
drawn to represent either a bolt, we may
be able to assume that the connection is
not pinned but allowed movement, a roller
joint. Additionally, the geometry of the
tube itself lends us to believe that the tube
is not capable of resisting lateral loads.
Unlike the four corner tubes that use a xcross configuration, the nine other tubes
do not triangulate the individual tubes to
form the tube structure. As a result, the
tubular structure interacts specifically with
the diaphragm to clearly identify the
laterally resisting tubes from the vertical
only tubes through the detail of the joint.

4.3 Conclusion

Although Ito maintains the simplicity of his design as that composed of three elements, an examination
of its seismic performance demonstrates how the tubular structure was differentiated into laterally and
vertically supporting tubes that could interact more efficiently with the diaphragm. In diagram, Ito
presents a rigid structure that can isolate itself from catastrophic ground movements and is mediated
by only four main tubular structures at the corner of the floor plates. The rest of the tubes are more
flexible in their lateral resistance and rather supports most of the vertical loads. Although the structure
isolates itself from ground movements and dampens vibrations that are created by earthquakes, one
would still be cautious of the use of glass structural members at the faade as a means to resist lateral
load. The glass members, although strong, are quite brittle. Hence, the use of gaskets and absorption
material is critical in the connections of the glass members.