実績

Noshiro in Akita Prefecture is a charming city, which flourished from the forestry and energy industries and its port, so that it used to be called “Noshiro, the city of wood.” The wood-framed assembly all, built in 1949 and now used as a meeting room, has been designated as cultural property. The old No. 1 government office building, a three-story reinforced concrete structure which provided with earthquake resistance reinforcement, is also designated as cultural property. The spatial linkage between this old No. 1 government office building and the new government office building was a major theme of this plan. Thinking of continuity with the street scenery, we preserved the avenue of cherry blossom trees on the south side, and created a spatial composition in which the cherry blossom garden and the passage garden (citizens’ gallery) respond to each other. The passage garden has a three-story atrium and forms the core of the new government office building. We were looking to make a new government office space that local people would visit for fun and enjoy, and that would be the scene of new, lively activity.
The administrative counters for residents on the first and second floors of the atrium face the cherry blossom garden, and the whole building has a circulating play structure, in which we worked to create spaces where it would be easy for citizens and staff to meet and consult. We used timber extensively in the interior and exterior finishes, befitting the image of “Noshiro, the city of wood,” producing a government office building with a soft, warm, and open atmosphere. The cherry blossom garden is the venue for diverse events, creating a new government office environment which attracts visitors, while fitting into the historic street scenery.