Island on land

The islands on the highlands are the idea that an architect suggests for the Tōhoku region in northeastern Japan. This area was heavily devastated by earthquakes and tsunamis in March 2011.

Keiichiro Sako of Sako Architects has just completed a detailed design called Tōhoku Sky Village , whereby clusters of islands on the mainland will form complete cities. They are designed to help people living in lowland areas from future devastating tsunamis.

Most islands are used for settlement purposes with between 100 and 500 houses and apartments. Fuel stations, water treatment plants and storage, parking lots are all underground. Commercial islands will be places for factories and agricultural and fishery processing facilities. In addition to bringing residents up to avoid tsunamis, the new design also has many other safety features. A reinforced gate behind each island will automatically close after a tsunami warning while the stairs on both sides allow people to climb to safety.

Sako Architects - mainland island outline - (Photo: Sako Architects)

Electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to ensure supply after disaster. Lithium-ion batteries will act as backup sources. The oval of these islands is also very important. Flat surfaces will collect all the force of the belly and the oval will allow water to flow around. Each 3-storey island will provide 90,000m ² of useful space and be bolted deep into the foundation through large steel pillars. The outer walls are made of 50cm thick reinforced concrete. At the center of each island cluster are administrative areas, schools, business headquarters and entertainment spots.

There are many other large-scale projects serving the housing re-supply for the Tōhoku people being studied. As designed by Toyo Ito, the architect involves relocating an entire city. Meanwhile, Sako's project allowed people to return to the place they had lived before.'Moving up to the high ground as recommended after the disaster will make big changes to the residents of the area, among them those who rely on land and sea for their livelihood , ' Sako said. The goal of the project not only preserves communities but turns them into a safe place to live.

Opponents of the project said that while the idea sounded reasonable, the estimated cost of 20 billion yen (more than $ 250 million) for each island was too expensive. To reduce costs, Tōhoku Sky Village will recycle debris from disaster for use in some construction components. Mr. Sako also believes that the island will become a tourist attraction. However, there is still a bigger obstacle from the people. Masayuki Wakui, Professor of Architectural Design at Tokyo City University believes that with the future of islands, the 'conservative' nature of the Tōhoku people may be a problem. 'But if communities decide not to move but want to stay in the delta, this will be a viable option , ' he said.