本案為位於廣島縣吳市阿賀町的鐘撞堂。稱名寺坐落於海埔新生地與周圍群山的臨界之處。踏上通往寺廟的長階，拾級而上，就能看見這座鐘撞堂與遠方的海面，令人不禁遐想鐘聲飄蕩到海面與小鎮上的光景。這點讓我們直覺地決定讓鐘面向海洋。在計劃之初，我們設計了尊重現有鐘撞堂的簡單提案，但寺方卻要我們做出能引發大家好奇心的建築，吸引大家前往參訪。在經過一連串討論後，我們便決定採用現在的造型。屋頂下方懸掛鐘體的空間，構築在原有的石牆上，形成有如洞穴的延伸，上方獨特的屋頂則反應了周遭山巒的樣態。我們希望屋頂具有雕塑性，因此便思考是否能夠使用一個有意思的工法。於是我們決定用疊疊樂的方式堆疊屋頂，形塑出立體的結構。首先我們製作了一比五的施作模型，並且懸掛了小型的鐘體給寺方參考，最終拍板定案採用這個設計。

在結構本體施工完成後，我們木構的未完成狀態造型很迷人，在上面加上屋頂著實可惜，但不防水也不行。因此，我們決定用西洋杉外皮作為屋頂，讓這些樹木形的屋頂看來就像覆上一層厚厚的樹皮一樣。在吳縣工業高等專門學校的鼎力相助下，西洋杉的樹皮由學生手工切割成型，並在工匠的指導下裝設在屋頂上，你可以看到每一片屋頂的建材都是由手工悉心切割而成，讓鐘撞堂更具有存在感。

鐘撞堂完工典禮嘉賓如雲，包含寺院的僧人，以及吳縣工業高等專門學校的學生在內。我們可以想像，此處將會成為鎮上的新地標，是人群聚集的新據點。我們真心希望大家會永遠喜歡這座鐘撞堂。

This is a project for the bell-ringing hall of Shoumyouji Temple in Aga, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Shoumyouji Temple is located on the border between the town which was built on reclaimed land that was once sea, and the mountains that surround it. When one climbs up the long stairs to the temple, one could see the bell-ringing hall, and beyond it the sea in the distance, where one can almost picture the sound of bells echoing towards the sea and town. This sensation triggered our instinctive decision to orientate the bells to face the sea. At the beginning of the project, we proposed a simple architecture that respected the existing bell-ringing hall, but the monk asked us to make something that would spark people’s curiosity, attracting them to visit. After a series of conversations, we settled on the present form. The space under the roof where the bell is hung is a cave-like extension of an existing stone wall, with a distinctive roof over it that reflects the shape of surrounding mountains. Since we were making a sculptural roof, we wondered if an interesting technique could be used. We decided to stack wood in Jenga-style and carve out a form in 3D. We made a 1/5 scale mock-up with an actual small bell hanging from it for the monks to see, which ultimately finalized the design.

After the construction was finished on site, we felt it was a shame to put a roof on the building because it was beautiful in its unfinished wooden block state, but considering the need to waterproof, a roof was necessary. Therefore, we decided to use cedar bark for the roofing so the trees would look like they are covered with a thick layer of bark. With the full cooperation of the people of Kure National Institute of Technology, each piece of cedar bark was cut by hand in a workshop and installed onto the roof under the craftsmen’s guidance. When one looks at the roof, one would be able to see that every single piece of roof material was hand-made with great care, and this is what gives the bell tower a sense of presence.

Many people attended the bell tower’s completion ceremony, including monks and students of Kure National Institute of Technology. We were able to catch a glimpse of how this place will become a new base for the town, and a node that will bring everyone together. We sincerely hope that the Bell Ringing Hall will be loved by everyone for a long time.