Chiaki Arai Urban & Architecture Design

Ofunato Civic Center and Library

Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa

OFUNATO CIVIC CENTER AND LIBRARY

Chiaki Arai Urban and Architecture Design

PHOTOGRAPHS
Taisuke Ogawa

YEAR
2008

LOCATION
Japan

CATEGORY
Library

Text description provided by architect.

Located in Ofunato, a town on the distinctive Sanriku Kaigan coastline of Iwate prefecture in northeastern Japan, Ofunato Civic Center and Library is a cultural building complex which consists of a main hall with 1100 seats, a library, multi-purpose spaces, an atelier, a tea room, and a studio.

Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa

In its development, regional workshops and fieldwork have been organized by more than 50 times to make communication among architects, local residents and public officers.

Following those workshops, programs of each function were verified, and a library was added as per requests from its locals.

How to represent its local form has also been discussed in order to design a new iconic community space.

Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa

In workshops, architects were required not to adhere to any particular forms or ideas, and to discern architecture, the form of space, from something ambiguous.

Through many events, the power in its creating process of architecture motivated the local involvement in the project.

Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa

Consequently, it has attracted more than 20,000 people every month in a city of 40,000 people since it was inaugurated.


Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
© Taisuke Ogawa


Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Plan
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Plan
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Plan


Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Section
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Section
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Section


Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Sketch
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Sketch
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Sketch
Ofunato Civic Center and Library
Sketch

Chiaki Arai Urban & Architecture Design
T +81 3 37605411 F +81 3 37605415
Chiaki Arai Urban & Architecture Design
2-14-19-2F Yutenji, Meguro-Ku,Tokyo 153-0052, Japan