The international competition brief for Yokahoma harbour specified a passenger shipping terminal that should be available for public use as well. The architects chose to avoid reinforcing the linear structure of the existing pier, opting instead for an intricate pattern of pathways based on visitor flow charts. The roofs and different levels twist and fold to produce varied interior forms, with entrances like slits and trenches in the surface. The interior and the exterior and the various levels blend fluently. All areas are floored with untreated hardwood like a gigantic ship‘s deck that provides a viewing platform and a plaza, terminal access and an entrance to the city for passengers as they arrive. The load-bearing structure is a steel folded-plate structure whose expressive view from below determines the atmosphere of the principal spaces.