Renovation of the main hall of Inafukuyama Hoshinji Temple

We were in charge of the design and supervision of the renovation work on the main hall of Inazukeyama Hoshinji Temple. The current main hall, which was completed in 1982, has a floor plan that measures 5 bays across and 4.5 bays deep, with an inner sanctuary built in the style of a storehouse measuring 1 bay x 1 bay protruding from the rear. It has a traditional spatial composition, with a wide veranda at the front that brings in the open outer sanctuary that was common in Nichiren sect temples of the past, and an outer sanctuary with a memorial tablet hall and tokonoma alcove on either side as remnants of the days of side rooms. However, the inner sanctuary has been cleverly designed to be practical for modern times, with large walls plastered with mortar for fire prevention reasons and no steps between the wooden floor and tatami floor.

However, most of the lighting fixtures were fluorescent lamps with poor color rendering, and there was a risk that the heat given off by the spotlights would cause the Buddhist altar fittings to burn. As a result, we planned to replace all lighting with energy-saving, long-lasting LED fixtures, illuminating the Juraku wall above the nageshi, the transom carvings, and the gold leaf wall behind the shumidan, thereby ensuring sufficient illuminance throughout the space. In addition, small spotlights and universal downlights have been carefully positioned in accordance with the Buddhist statues and altar fittings. All lighting can be adjusted to 121 different colors and is dimmable, and the scene can be freely changed on a tablet device according to the time of day and usage.

In addition, so as not to detract from the design of the stage lighting, the air conditioning vents, smoke detectors, motion sensors, etc. have been changed to custom colors that match the Aomori hiba and cashew lacquered coffered ceiling. Furthermore, for the floor, the damaged Bishu cypress edge deck surface has been sanded down to about 0.8 mm and then painted with two coats of matte urethane paint, giving the natural wood grain an elegant look.

In this design, no special effort was made, but rather, the distortions that had accumulated over the years were removed one by one, each element was carefully arranged, and modern lighting fixtures were gently added, which made the designer himself realize once again the richness of the space that Hoshinji Temple's main hall possesses. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who cooperated with this project.

Location: Kita-ku, Tokyo

Completion: June 2022

Use: Temple

Design and supervision: Tono Nakakura Architects and Urban Designers Co., Ltd.

Historical material collection and research cooperation: Madoka Hagiwara Construction:

Daitetsu (carpentry work)
Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (Electrical Equipment)
Tosmac Co., Ltd. (Air conditioning equipment)
Matsui Disaster Prevention Industry Co., Ltd. (Disaster Prevention Equipment)
Fuji Beauty Co., Ltd. (Floor Beauty)