A space for contemplation of the horizon.

Stitching together ocean, shore, and walls, Sunrise Bridge offers a site-specific encounter between people and place. The bridge, which serves as a memorial site to those lost to the 2011 Great Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, spans between two tsunami walls along the picturesque Sanriku coast. The precise location of the bridge is defined by the original disembarkation point of the train station that was washed away by the 2011 tsunami, and which is now memorialized by the small pavilion in the park capped by the original train station dome. Visitors disembark the train at the bridge’s entrance and can either descend down a stairway to the memorial park, or walk across the bridge beyond the opposing wall to an overlook framing the horizon. The timber bridge truss spans 80 meters with a 30-m long cantilever, and takes formal inspiration from the boats and fishing vessels dotting the coastline. The shape of the bridge vessel changes as one moves closer to the sea, shifting from exposure to enclosure until finally reaching a suspended viewpoint for contemplation.

Gently elevating its users, the Sunrise Bridge creates a public space for the physical experience of moving forward. Besides incorporating access to the memorial park below, the bridge offers a quiet space for contemplation of the horizon where the ocean meets the sky. Here, visitors can bring their breakfast or morning tea for a meditative moment overlooking the sunrise. More than just a means of physical connection, the bridge creates space for movement and a supported crossing between states of vulnerability and protection.

Shimanokoshi, Iwate, Japan
Design: Robert Hutchison, 2023 - 2024
Collaborators: Forrest Bibeau, Michelle Hook, Rachel Rubis, Scott Claassen, Xiaoxi Jiao
Drawings: Rachel Rubis
Models: Rachel Rubis, Xiaoxi Jiao, Kee Young Jung
Visualizations: Michelle Hook, Rachel Rubis, Scott Claassen