The Mother Farm Dome, located near Kimitsu, Japan, stands as the largest freestanding Lockwood building in the world. Covering 1800 square meters, it blends Lockwood’s solid wood construction with concrete and other materials. This impressive structure has a special connection to Rotorua, New Zealand, where Lockwood is headquartered. Japan’s Mother Farm, inspired by Rotorua’s Agrodome, offers a similar farm demonstration experience.
Mother Farm provides visitors with an immersive agricultural experience. It’s a hands-on, engaging attraction where children and adults can see, touch, taste, and learn about farm life. The farm offers dining, adventure activities, accommodation, and shopping, making it a popular destination for Japanese city dwellers seeking a taste of country life. Easily accessible by train, it’s a perfect getaway for those wanting to experience the countryside.
The connection between Rotorua and Mother Farm began in the early 1990s when the owner of Mother Farm visited New Zealand and the Agrodome. Impressed by the farm show’s success, especially among Asian visitors unfamiliar with farm life, he saw the potential for a similar attraction in Japan. This led to the creation of a large commercial building capable of seating 1600 people, complete with a stage for various farm demonstrations, including sheep handling, farm dogs, milking, and shearing.
Not only did the owner take inspiration from the Agrodome, but he also admired the Lockwood construction system. Thus, Lockwood was engaged to build the Mother Farm Dome. The structure is a geodesic dome, a hemispherical thin-shell structure based on a geodesic polyhedron. Lockwood’s wooden triangular elements, which are structurally rigid and load-distributing, make the Dome capable of withstanding heavy loads.
The construction process was extensive, starting with several years of regulatory approval efforts to ensure Lockwood’s solid timber system met Japan’s high standards. This effort involved New Zealand’s ambassador to Japan and Trade New Zealand. Once approved, Lockwood’s engineers collaborated with Japanese architects and engineers to design the structure. The components, totalling 444 cubic meters, were flat-packed into 19 containers and shipped to Japan. A team of Lockwood carpenters and engineers then travelled to Japan to oversee the assembly, ensuring the construction met Lockwood’s high standards. Despite language barriers, the project was executed flawlessly, a testament to Japan’s rich heritage in timber construction.
Completed in 1996, the Mother Farm Dome combines solid timber and concrete, showcasing Lockwood’s versatility in a visually striking structure. Lockwood managing director Andrew La Grouw described it as looking like it “landed from outer space.” The geodesic design allows large audiences to have clear views of farm demonstrations and other events.
Japan, like New Zealand, is prone to seismic activity. Over the past two decades, the Mother Farm Dome has proven its resilience, with its low-maintenance exterior weathering to a patina admired by the Japanese. The Dome’s success led to the addition of several smaller Lockwood buildings on the farm, used for accommodation and other purposes. These additions highlight the owner’s appreciation for Lockwood’s quality and suitability.
The President of Mother Farm expresses pride in their New Zealand-originated timber buildings, which have withstood the rigours of commercial use while maintaining their beauty and precision. The Mother Farm Dome stands as a testament to Lockwood’s innovative construction and enduring quality.
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