By
Rebecca Gibson |
Miami-based global architecture, planning and interior design firm Berenblum Busch Architects (BBA) has designed Carnival Corporation’s first cruise terminal in Japan.
Located in Sasebo Bay, the new 50,000-square-foot Uragashira Cruise Terminal was designed as a “cruise terminal in a nature park” and will serve as a port of call for cruise ships travelling from mainland China to Japan. BBA has designed the one-storey facility to be “Zen and minimal” and reflect Sasebo’s culture, building traditions and geography.
“Sasebo is an area known for its 10,000 islands and we want travellers to feel like they’re in a park and not a parking lot,” said Gustavo Berenblum, BBA’s founding principal. “We accomplished this by respecting and conforming with the surrounding nature and adding additional vegetation to the site.”
Uragashira Cruise Terminal will boast a curved roof that extends past the building and towards the hills and sea. The roof’s long overhead will serve as a cooling mechanism for the building, as well as a shield for the terminal’s glass walls and steel frame. Other design highlights will include sawtooth skylights that face north to maximise the natural light and wooden finishes on the inside of the terminal.
To protect it against typhoons and earthquakes, the building will largely be made of concrete, but will have glass and steel elements. Inside, the terminal will have a passenger waiting area, immigration and customs facilities, retail spaces, offices and a second-floor terrace overlooking the sea. There will also be a public plaza, a designated car and bus drop-off area, and parking.
“We are honoured to be a part of such a landmark project for Carnival Corporation and the significance it carries for the brand and Japan,” said Berenblum. “Our goal was to design a terminal that includes all the modern functions and amenities necessary for creating an elevated guest experience, but that also felt as it’s always been there.”
The terminal is set to open in 2020, ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.