Art Museum & Library | akihisa hirata architecture office

This cultural exchange facility was built in front of Ota Station in Gunma Prefecture.

One aim of the project was to create a base that would draw a stream of people back to the front of the station, which had become largely deserted. Another aim was to create something that would make a connection between the town and the building’s interior, encouraging people to casually drop by. It was also necessary to create a place that was wholly unique to Ota. Using the image of a wing and propeller, a reference to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, which had once operated in the city, I attempted to evoke a state in which the building would serve as a node for multiple streams.

In concrete terms, I proposed a structure in which a slope would wind around and around five reinforced-concrete boxes by means of a steel rim. This enables people to naturally make their way to every floor as if they were walking through the city. In addition, I tried to create a three-dimensional symbiosis of places with a diverse range of characteristics to enable people of many different ages and backgrounds to discover their own place. The book shelves and works of art are visible through the window, making people want to go inside, and in the same way that a museum or a library exudes a welcoming air by providing us with a glimpse of its contents, the building precipitates a stream of people.

Designed to entangle a large number of local residents and staff, the building is like a flower that was born in front of the station.

Site : Ota, Gunma

Design period : April 2014 – March 2015

Construction period : May 2013 – December 2014

Structural engineer : arup

General contractors : Ishikawakensetsu

Site area : 4641.33 sqm

Built area : 1496.87 sqm

Total floor area : 3152.85 sqm

Program : museum, library, cafe shop

Floors : B1-3

Height : 15.2 m

Structure : Reinforced concrete, Steel