Japan 2023Higashikawa Town Community Plaza “Sorairo”
KKAA designed a wooden community center for the middle of Higashikawa Town located in the central portion of Hokkaido where it has a satellite office to serve as a space for interaction between elderly people, wellbeing and child raising. We strived to create a new public structure that can be enjoyed and loved by people of all ages with a tender ambiance. Large wooden eaves welcome the townspeople, and the building faces Mt. Asahi-dake, a symbol of the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group of mountains.
Japanese larch and Sakhalin fir which are representative trees of Hokkaido were extensively used on the inside and outside of the building to provide a structure that has a texture and coloring that blends in with the nature of Higashikawa.
Blue, yellow and greens taken from the rivers, forests and mountains of nature around Higashikawa were used for each element comprising the interior, and flowing lines of lights, inspired by the large starry skies of Hokkaido, are suspended from the ceiling.
