FUKUOKA PREFECTURAL INTERNATIONAL HALL

FUKUOKA, JAPAN, 1990 EMILIO AMBASZ

The city of Fukuoka, Japan, desperately needed a new government office building, yet the only available site was a two hectares garden park in the center of town, their only one.

When news emerged that this potential new structure would be located upon the last remaining green area in the city, the citizens of Fukuoka erupted in protest. Ambasz, the winner of a closed competition, won this commission for successfully achieving a reconciliation between these two opposing desires: maintaining the size of the park while providing the city of Fukuoka with a powerful symbolic structure at its center.

His design utilizes a series of 14 garden terraces stepping up the facade of the building, thereby giving back to Fukuoka's citizens virtually all of the land that the building’s footprint would subtract from the city. The result was immediate community approval and the complete avoidance of any construction delays due to community challenges.

The building’s success can be judged by the fact that it is the most visited city structure and that the city government has adopted Ambasz’ initial sketch as its logo.

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We believe in creating architecture that is in balance with nature and in concert with the natural systems that are critical to the health and well-being of the world.

Terra — The Sustainability Pavilion Expo 2020, Dubai, UAE

Grimshaw congratulates this year’s CSU Honorees:

Emilia Sáiz

Emilio Ambasz

Michal Mlynár Henk Ovink

Keziah Theresee Gerosano

THE TALAL ABU-GHAZALEH ORGANIZATION (TAG-ORG) CELEBRATES THE WORK OF THE CONSORTIUM FOR SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION AND ITS 2023 HONOREES.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE 2023 GALA COMMITTEE AND THEIR EFFORTS.

ZEYNEP BELER, RICK BELL, LANCE JAY

BROWN (CHAIR), ALIYE PEKIN CELIK, MICHAEL

CRISPI, NICHOLAS HAMILTON, LIZ NEBIOLO (DESIGNER), MARIANA RODRIGUEZ ORTE, ONER YURTSEVEN, & IRENA ZUBCEVIC.