Japanese Lighthouse

The Japanese Lighthouse is our proposal for a Chamorro Cultural Center in Saipan, one of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia.

The Lighthouse is one of the last remaining Japanese structures in the Northern Mariana Islands and was built in 1934. It escaped destruction during the invasion of the Allied Forces in 1944 and is currently abandoned.

Sitting atop Navy Hill, the Japanese Lighthouse overlooks the Philippine Sea and Managaha Island on the west side of the island and therefore is one of the most popular locations in Saipan to watch the sunset from.

Over the years the Lighthouse has become a symbol of Saipan as it is one of the few old structures remaining that reflects the history and multicultural background of the island. While Chamorro people are the indigenous inhabitants of the NMI, there is no place on the island that showcases their rich history and traditions – nor does Saipan have a visitor center.

Our design approach incorporates the existing structure of the Lighthouse and combines it with an addition that takes its clues from vernacular Micronesian architecture. The combination of both styles and materials creates a new architecture that is respectful of the past while clearly pointing to the future. The addition to the Japanese Lighthouse is inspired by traditional Micronesian longhouses. It mainly consists of one large assembly hall that can accommodate a wide variety of events and a row of support spaces that create a connection between the old lighthouse and the new addition. The lighthouse itself will accommodate a restaurant, a small visitor center as well as a large roof terrace. A square in front of the building will serve as an extended event space for both programs.

The building incorporates passive and active cooling methods such as shading, cross and stack ventilation, whole house fans and under-floor ventilation in order to maintain a comfortable temperature within the building while reducing energy consumption. Solar cells on the south-facing roof will provide the electricity and indigenous materials such as pozzolan cement, bamboo and palm wood / hatch will be used throughout to further reduce the building’s carbon footprint.