Aomori City General Gymnasium Kakuhiro Group Super Arena
A multi-purpose sports complex integrated with Aoi Mori Central Park, located in the heart of Aomori City—renowned as the snowiest major city in the world. We connected seven sports boxes with a gallery inspired by Komise, a traditional covered walkway found in Aomori and placed a community space called Yoridoma at the central junction.
Serving as the facility’s core, Yoridoma functions as a three-dimensional void through which the wind can pass. When the movable partitions of the two adjacent arenas are opened, they merge into a block-scale open space that extends to an artificial turf plaza. Like the traditional ta-no-ji (shape of “田” in Kanji characters) layout of old Japanese houses, the space flexibly adapts to various forms, accommodating diverse activities. In the southwestern part of Yoridoma, a traditional local structure called Kaccho—a movable wind and snow protection fence—has been incorporated to shield the semi-outdoor space from seasonal winds. This reflects local wisdom and represents a sustainable approach to living with snow.
The building envelope includes crushed scallop shells sourced from Aomori, while the structural frames of Yoridoma and Komise use local timber to create patterns reminiscent of “apple baskets”. The arena, richly finished with wood, is filled with the gentle scent of timber. In the foyer, named the Connect Hall, a giant apple-shaped Nebuta lantern floats—created by Asako Kitamura, the first female Nebuta artist.
A modern “basket” — warm, human-centered, and open to the breeze, evoking the spirit of Aomori’s Jomon culture — has emerged.
