Opened in 2022 in the Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Ghibli Park is a unique example of environmental integration in design. Located in the Expo 2005 Memorial Park, its design is based on the principle of minimal intervention: rather than radically transforming the landscape, it sensitively adapts to the topography, vegetation and architecture of the site.
One of the consequences of this approach is the use of existing infrastructure. Buildings constructed for the Expo were converted into pavilions and exhibition halls. This reduced the construction of new buildings and avoided extensive urbanisation.
The treatment of the landscape reinforces this perspective. The paths, lakes and wooded areas of the original park were preserved and organically integrated into the route. The scale of the interventions was deliberately kept small. After all, this was the sensibility of director Hayao Miyazaki, creator of the Ghibli universe, whose work is characterised by the deep connection between nature, memory and everyday life.
In terms of its operation, Ghibli Park applies two models: one for the Memorial Park, which is free to access, and another for the areas and buildings of the Ghibli universe, which require an entrance fee.
By Tianshu Liu, senior architect in the Architecture Department at Amusement Logic
