Is Kura a Model for a Sustainable Preservation Environment?
In Japan, traditional storage, known as kura, demonstrates superior performance in maintaining stable interior temperature and relative humidity (RH) with no dedicated system for heating or cooling. One well-known example is Shosoin treasure house, built in the 8th century to store the Komyo Empress’s treasures of the 8th century. Approximately 9,000 items of this collection were preserved in this treasure house for 1,200 years, and most items are in excellent condition. The storage environment is the key reason that they are so well-preserved. In 1992, the Archives of the Imperial House Agency (AIHA) in Tokyo built the current storage building modeled on the traditional kura structure. The facility is a four story building with one basement housing the Emperor’s official and historical documents which date from the 8th century. The building has no air-conditioning system. Instead, the environment is controlled by natural ventilation and a sophisticated insulation and wooden interior f
