Chikujo Town Public Library “Kizuki no Mori”
Amid the serene, rural landscapes of Chikujō Town, we designed a library that feels like a “forest of books.”
The building, long cherished as a public hall, has been transformed with an exterior softly wrapped in louvers resembling tree branches, inviting visitors as if into a grove.
Inside, the newly created atrium uses local timber—Keichiku cypress (Keichiku Hinoki)—with louvers extending like spreading branches, turning the concrete structure of the original building into a gentle, forest-like space.
The “playful bookshelves,” a combination of play equipment and book racks, let parents and children enjoy interacting with books together. Children can run, chat, and explore, creating a lively and joyful library environment. Alongside the calm open shelves on the second floor, designed as a place for focused study, a space for connection and encounters among people of different generations has emerged.
This gentle, warm “forest of books,” perfectly suited to the nature-rich Chikujō Town, will surely become a “forest of discovery,” full of countless moments of inspiration and insight.
