Theme of the Competition

What kind of station is a "HIMANA* train Station"(downtime station)? Probably a station where few trains stop,
the building is small, and one may have to spend a lot of time waiting for the train. Perhaps the station building itself looks as if it is “bored”.

According to the dictionary, the word HIMA (down time) means "a time when one does not have to do anything", and has a different meaning from taikutsu (boredom). It is almost synonymous with yoka (leisure). Broadening the meaning, it could be said that the term HIMA is a state in which there is a margin of time, space, and life. This margin may have a different function or role from that of a typical station. A busy station is a place with high economic value where trains and passengers constantly pass through. Such a station needs to be functional and efficient, especially if commercial facilities are attached. On the other hand, an unmanned station may require a connection with the local community for management.

Stations are transit points for people on their way to a destination. Yet a station where time could be spent slowly offers the chance of encounters that may be very emotional, a trope often used in movies and television dramas. Such a station may have a role similar to that of a plaza or a park.

Design your own HIMANA train Station. The specific location, area, and surrounding environment are open. The applicant may choose a real place or create a fictitious one. We look forward to receiving architectural proposals that go beyond the creation of a structure and involve space, materials, and scale.

*A state of having time and leisure, a state of not being busy in the Japanese language.