AQUA OSAKA


	AQUA OSAKA


	SEASON


		PLACE
	ENERGY


	This proposal is not meant to fix the future form of Osaka in one stroke, but to inspire its citizens to create it in stages.

	OSAKA INTERNATIONAL
	CONCEPT COMPETITION

	AQUA OSAKA	TM
	AQUA OSAKA


	Concept and Strategy for the Renewal of the Northern Osaka Station Area


	January 2003
	Günter Nitschke,
	in collaboration with Rolf Gerber


	AQUA OSAKA	TM


	SEASON


	PLACE


	ENERGY

LOVE – LIFE – LAUGHTER

water gives life –

life makes love –

love bears laughter –

and

laughter brings tears – water again.

AQUARIAN AGE Season, Place, and Energy

THE EARTH: entering the Aquarian Age

With the Third Millenium human consciousness will become increasingly influenced by the Aquarian Age. According to Western astrologers this Aquarian Age will be characterized by a great Sense of Unity. This new Sense of Unity will express itself in a new holistic religious consciousness, a global mode of human economic and political interaction, in a new awareness of human interdependence with nature and of the ecological and energetic quality of all urban architecture. In summary, the human attitude to Season, Place, and Energy will undergo major changes at the influence of Aquarian Age holism.

THE CITY: on the Brink of a Water Crisis

The human being on earth is on the brink of a water crisis, especially those living in the huge cities. Thus, the protection and management of life-enabling resources of water and the supply of clean drinking water will play an ever increasing influence on the design of the economic and physical structure of our great cities.

OSAKA: Vitality and Hidden Order

At first sight, Osaka as a city presents an architectural chaos; but chaos does not necessarily mean without order. Lurking underneath the visual chaos lies a remarkable hidden order which might contain the very secret of the Japanese economic success during the last 50 years. What is Osaka's Hidden Order?

Osaka is a safe, hygienic, efficient, flexible and easily changeable urban cluster; it is convenient in terms of traffic, that is, easy to access and easy to get around in. And it is based on popular or mass-culture. In modern words, it is an instant Plug-In and Power-Up City. Architects from around the world have come to study it and written about it. The City of the Future all over the world will look a bit like Osaka. The city of the future will have its model not in the City Beautiful of Europe of the past but in the seemingly chaotic but vitalistic city visible all over East Asia.

AQUA OSAKA Strategy for Renewal

–

Capital on Water

Our re-development proposal, first, respects the existing surrounding urban fabric of northern Osaka and thus creates in this area a new cultural and urban face and focus blending into the architecture of that area.

Second, our proposal resurrects and reemphasizes Osaka's basic historic structure. Since ancient times Osaka was known as Capital on Water, because of its most outstanding urban feature, its system of rivers, canals, harbors and its economic and architectural orientation towards water. We have called our proposal AQUA OSAKA, Osaka on Water, since we revive the unique original urban quality of Osaka in our design strategy.

–

The Sea of Laughter

Two new canals are proposed between Yodogawa River and Dojima River, one baptized River of Life, the other River of Love -, will feed a large blue lake with relaxation and recreation facilities all around its

edge and new Underwater City underneath it. As name for this lake we suggest Sea of Laughter, alluding to Osaka's traditional sense of humor, manzai. Since ancient times laughter has been known as the most powerful means of healing and also of meditation. Visually, the world's first Yoyo Dome, Dome of Joy for the Aquarian Age will be the lake's focus and largest structure. This dome can also be used for national or international events and conventions. Like Central Park is practically the most important landmark of New York, so the central Lake will boost Osaka's profile as a great international city.

–

Underwater City

There is no need for more overcrowding or overheating in any large city center, also not Osaka's. On the contrary, there is a need to open Osaka up, visually, structurally and especially climatically. The eye must also be given a rest somewhere amidst all the existing visual noise.

Thus, instead of encouraging any kind of future high-rise, high-density development on the target area, a large Underwater City is proposed with shopping arcades, pleasure, and cultural facilities, to be linked with the existing subterranean shopping arcades south of Osaka Station. Many parts of the architecture of the Underwater City will receive sunlight directly through the water of the Lake during the day. At night, these arcades will project a grand light show out of the Lake and high above into the Osaka sky.

–

Osaka Water Stations

Many of Osaka's modern age facilities are built on water. Osaka already owns Japan's first airport on water. Osaka Station would become the world's first Water Station, facing the new central lake. Anyone arriving at one of the many stations of Osaka Center will visually feel like having arrived at a capital, not a national one, but at an international one, a Capital on Water, AQUA OSAKA. Because what connects all nations of East and South East Asia have never been routes on land, but on water.

–

City of the Four Seasons

The architecture around the central lake can ultimately not be proposed in finite architectural form but only in terms of infrastructure, use, height, and general urban image. What, however, can be and is suggested here, is that Japan's pronounced four seasons should be the guiding theme behind this new urban environment of AQUA OSAKA, reminding anyone of the new Sense of Unity with Nature in the Aquarian Age of the 21st century.


	AQUA OSAKA	traffic


	CANALS & LAKE Two new canals between Yodogawa and Dojimagawa feeding a central Lake, are proposed to be built in stages. ROADS Major road-network proposed here fol- lows the official road planning by the City of Osaka, omitting, however, the propo- sed subterranean N-S route as exten- sion of Yotsubashi- suji. A new central E-W route bisecting the site will have to be placed under- ground.


	PARKING Practically the whole area underneath the Lake of Laughter, can be utilized for several floors of public parking. RAILWAYS The Naniwasuji Line should pass under- neath the Lake and have a main station directly in the Dome of Joy, the Yoyo Dome, at the center of the first phase of the redevelopment. The Umeda Cargo Line should be pla- ced underground. N-S PEDESTRIAN PASSAGE A subterranean link will be essential to connect the existing underground shop- ping center south of Osaka Station and the Underwater City.


	AQUA OSAKA	planning strategy


	1


		4
	3


	2


	A Planning Stra- tegy for Incremental Growth:
	At each stage, the proposed redevel- opment of the new AQUA OSAKA will constitute a com- plete whole as a part of a future ever more comprehen- sive whole.


	water stations
	Image: Sense of Aloofness and Kuni-mi: the white lofty shapes sug- gest snow peaked mountains, winter attractions at Osa- kas hinterland, the Japanese Alps.


	Architecture: Tent-like structures with transparent white material will cover the top-deck of both Osaka and Umeda Water Sta- tion. These tents will be of different size and interpene- trating each other containing shops and restaurants. Here the travelers can rest and wait for their connections while enjoying the great view over the Lake of Laughter and its surrounding cityscape, the new urban face of Aqua Osaka, Osaka on Water.


	ume no ta area
	Image: Sense of Harmony between Man and Nature created by an inter- penetration of built form and nature. Thousands of plum trees planted in between buildings, creating a new beauty spot in early spring.


	Architecture: This area should be used for functions of educational insti- tutions, cultural facilities, NGO's, and other international humanitarian institu- tions. The architec- ture for it is laid out in checkerboard fashion, somehow reminiscent of Eng- lish urban squares centered on common greens.


	AQUA OSAKA

	Image: Sense of Wonder and Excite- ment: this first Underwater City reflects Japan as a monsoon country with plenty of water- resources. The cli- max of that feeling is experienced during the raining season.


	underwater city


	Architecture: The Lake of Laugh- ter contains an Un- derwater City with a complex maze of shops and restau- rants and play- grounds, centering on a huge circular Yoyo Dome, Dome of Joy as a symbol of Osaka's unique Sense of Humor, ap- pearing to float like a kurage on the Lake.


	lakeside pleasures
	Image: Sense of Recreation and Relaxation, to be enjoyed at hot sultry summer nights.


	Architecture: The architecture along the edge of the warai no umi, should be inspired by traditional river edge architecture of the Osaka in Edo times. It should not follow the design of modern water- edges and water- fronts imported from Europe and the USA. We suggest a maze of small-parcelled development linked by narrow lanes converging into a feeder road at the back. This amuse- ment and commer- cial architecture with cafes, bars, restau- rants, and boutiques would be topped by rental apartments with a view onto the lake.


	kuchu-teien shin-umeda
	Image: Sense of Unity, created by common green sky- gardens as part of closely spaced high- rise offices with urban apartment on the top, – all at their best during cool autumn weather.


	Architecture: The architecture of this area should be reserved for high- rise offices of inter- national enterprises and contain urban rental living on the top third. Pedestrian streets in the air could make easy connections in mid- air. The cluster should have three steps of height to allow easy views onto the Lake. Housing would also reintroduce night population into Osa- ka's city center.


		design