KANSAI-KAN BRANCH OF THE NATIONAL DIET LIBRARY - JAPAN (INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION) The demands of the program of this competition were very strict. The functional scheme of the facility was very complex and the difficulty of this project was how to do it by the most simply way. Besides functional and technical conditions and those of the environment it was demanded that the facility symbolized culture and science. What is our project outside? Everyone understand the message of the shape of the facility. Besides the silhouette remind of the traditional Japan temples. Is not it a temple of culture and science? Some explanations about the site plan. The column of the porch is used as a sundial. On the top of the column there is a revolving ring which fixes the end of the column shadow on the "shadow lines" at every 22nd day of the month. The basis of the column is based as a compass. The "month paths" are arranged with plants which specific beauty would be seen at "their time". Some explanations about the circulation in the facility. The facility has two entrances - main entrance at the northern side and staff entrance at the southern side. The both are leading into the central space. The stairs in the center of the entrance hall lead up to the auditorium and to the entrances of the other departments. The most visited General Reference Reading Room, the Asian Center and the cafeteria are on the first floor. The stacks are in the central parts of the facility. Every normal floor respond to two floors of the stacks. The size of the facility is 162 x 72 x 24 m.