Architects: Chiaki Arai Urban and Architecture Design
Area: 5002 m²
Year: 2012
Photographs: Taisuke Ogawa, Kouichi Satake
Interior: Chiaki Arai Urban and Architecture Design
Landscape: Chiaki Arai Urban and Architecture Design
Contractor: Fujita and Akiha and Kitamoto joint venture
Acoustical Consultant: Nagata Acoustics
Electrical Services: Ogisou and Yuwa and Nagai and Minden joint venture
Air Conditioning: Akira and Hakushin joint venture
Structural Engineer: TIS&PARTNERS
Design Team: Chiaki Arai, Ryoichi Yoshizaki, Miroku Arai, Chiaki Hamamatsu, Yoshihiko Murase
Theater Consultant: Theatre Workshop
Sanitary Services: Echihai Co.Ltd.
Gas Services: Hokuriku Gas Co.Ltd. Niigata branch
Engineering and Air Conditioning: Sogo Consultants
City: Niigata
Country: Japan
Niigata City Konan Ward Cultural Center by Chiaki Arai Urban and Architecture Design integrates a theatre, library, museum, and community center, connected by “Cross Street.” The design, developed with local input, focuses on human scale, somesthetic experiences, and flexible space use, with a concrete structure that enhances natural light and airflow. The 413-seat hall features adjustable acoustics and a stage with a movable reflector, while the seating upholstery draws inspiration from rice fields with a yellow-green palette.
This complex institution comprises a Multipurpose Theatre, Library, Local Museum, and Community Center, effectively combining the benefits of four distinct programs. These four zones are interconnected by a circulation corridor called “Cross Street.”
Developed through local workshops, the spaces were designed with a focus on somesthetic experiences, human scale, and room usability. The structure is shaped by the space, with uneven, elaborate walls that distribute air conditioning and natural light. The concrete structure, with its fissures, acts as a “breathing” skin, bringing the building to life.
Movable sliding walls allow separated rooms to be connected, maximizing the limited space. Individual rooms, like the music practice room, are organized as vertically nested structures. The gap between these structures and the skylights on the roof fills “Cross Street” with soft light. This design creates a space that is intentionally inconsistent, adding a dynamic quality to the environment.
The structure is guided by the space, with the walls controlling building facilities by utilizing the gaps within them. These gaps also allow light to seep through, creating areas where the “breathing” walls interact with light. This design results in a space that is intentionally inconsistent, adding depth and dynamism to the environment.
The hall is a 413-seat multipurpose space. Inside, softly curving bands of light create a striking visual effect, highlighting the curves of the stepped side walls and ceiling. The side walls are dotted with 7,000 circles, placed at random intervals, each serving one of three functions: adding light, enhancing sound diffusion, or improving sound absorption. These circles fulfill both aesthetic and acoustic purposes. Moreover, the hall features a stage with configurable depth, allowing flexibility for different performances.
The stage acoustic reflector system was designed with a mechanism of supports attached to the rear concrete structure. This system enables the acoustic reflector to be moved, extending the stage depth by about 3 meters. The standard stage depth is 8 meters, but with this configuration, it can be increased to 11 meters, allowing for greater flexibility in performances.
The alternate configuration expands the stage area, making this small-scale hall suitable for hosting large orchestras. The seats’ upholstery features a color palette with a yellow-green background and shades of brown and orange woven into the fabric, resembling the appearance of rice ears in fields.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: 3 Chome-1-14 Chinoyama, Konan Ward, Niigata, 950-0144, Japan
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
