Yusuhara Town Hall©Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

Japan 2006Yusuhara Town Hall

Kochi
Civic
Completed

The town of Yusuhara in Kochi Prefecture, known for its urban development using “Japanese Cedar”, has a new starting point for its community with the “Kino-machi Hall” (Town Hall), the largest scaled “Wooden” town hall in Japan.

Considering the snowing weather conditions, a large atrium is inserted, and an indoor plaza was created to connote facilities necessary by town members in everyday life such as bank, the Agricultural Cooperative Society, and the Chamber of Commerce. This atrium also functions as a space for traditional performances and festivals.

Local Japanese cedar has been used fully to the regulations, which made possible to create a double lattice girder structure with an 18 meter long span.

While making possible to visualize how cedar structural parts sustain the structure, this building aims to build an architecture capable of making people reconfirm the excellence of Japanese wooden structures.

The indoor plaza and exterior plaza, separated by a large sliding door used for hangars, becomes one only space which is used during spring festivals.

Awards14rh Public Buildings Association Award (Shikoku Region)

Team Kazuhiko Miyazawa Cooperation Nakata Structural Design Office Facility Nikken Sekkei Accumulation 第一積算建築 Award The 14th Public Buildings Award of Excellence (Administrative Facilities) (Yusuhara Town Hall), 第2回 サステナブル建築賞 建築環境・省エネルギー機構理事長賞(商業・サービスビル部門), 平成19年度 第6回 高知県木の文化賞 Publication Nikkei Architecture 2010/01/11 , Shinkenchiku 2009/04 , Nikkei Architecture 2008/6/23 No.877 , Nikkei Architecture 2008/03/17 no.870 , JA : The Japan Architect 2008/Winter 68 YEARBOOK2007 , Shinkenchiku 2007/04 , Nikkei Architecture 2007/03/12 No.843 , Shinkenchiku 2007/03 , GA JAPAN 2007/01-02 84 Photography ©︎ Mitsumasa Fujitsuka