"Kanagawa Kenmin Hall" where you can encounter modern architecture from the 1970s (1/2)

Sneak into an artistic space!
YOKOHAMA ART SPOT FILE

A place that has continued to watch over the history of Yokohama's art and culture
Kanagawa Prefectural Hall

This time, we would like to introduce Kanagawa Kenmin Hall, which opened on January 17th, 1975, 40 years ago, as a large-scale cultural facility representing Japan. First, please be guided by the hall staff to the lobby on the 2nd floor of the building.

Wow, super cool! ! ! ! ! High ceilings, large glass windows that let in plenty of sunlight, and a tall light tower installed at the information counter. And best of all, the design, with straight lines and square shapes that click, click, click, is just amazing! Although I have used the hall several times, this is the first time I have paid close attention to the architecture of the hall as a whole (I apologize for the inconvenience!). The space here evokes the modernism that was popular from the 1950s to the 1970s, from the lighting to the walls, windows, and stairs. By the way, this lobby is a public space like a hotel lobby, so anyone can enter for free. There are also chairs available, so you can relax in the spacious, air-conditioned space while checking out flyers for performances!

On the wall to the left of the information counter, there is a work woven based on a print by Shiko Munakata. In fact, this was originally used as a stage curtain for a small hall. It's worth a look.

Now let's move to the large hall with a red carpet.

The lobby for this large hall also has a modernist feel in every aspect. The use of lighting is also effective and cool! As expected, this is also composed of a design that emphasizes the corners overall. The entire area of the building, which would normally be a wall, is covered with large lattice-like windows, creating a space where you can view the scenery of Yokohama that changes with the seasons.

Before entering the large hall, we were taken to a panoramic view spot recommended by the hall staff. Arrived at the 3rd floor lobby. This lobby is on the 6th floor of the entire building, so the view from this lobby is spectacular!

Here are some recommended panoramic viewing spots!

Did you know that when you head towards the sea from the lobby, there is a triangular space at the end? If you stand here, you can see a panoramic view of Yokohama Port beyond the row of ginkgo trees. Osanbashi, Yamashita Park, and on clear days you can even see Honmoku. At the time of our interview (unfortunately cloudy skies...), it was still the lingering heat of the summer, so the area below us was covered in lush greenery, but in the fall and winter, this changes to a row of golden ginkgo trees. If you are planning to visit the large hall of Kanagawa Kenmin Hall, please go to the 3rd floor lobby and take in the beautiful view of Yokohama below.

This is the 2nd floor lobby. The cube-shaped lighting with a classic design is also nice. This kind of interior is also something you should check out when you visit Kanagawa Kenmin Hall!

Now, let's enter the large hall from the 3rd floor lobby.

Anyway, it's big! This day was a closed day, so maintenance and inspections were being carried out in preparation for the next performance. A lifting device called an ``auction'' was installed on the stage, and on this day, a red color cone was placed so that you could see the location of the ``auction''. If you look at it like this, it's a pretty big space. By the way, how do you think this "seri" part is used? The answer is...The bottom of this stage is the loading entrance, so it is used as a loading path when building stage sets. The various sets that decorate the stages of opera and ballet are carried to the stage by this "automobile".

And once again, the hall staff told us about the recommended seats! Facing the stage, inside the front row of seats on both sides! For example, if you are seated on the 3rd floor, this is the seat (the part where the seat is lowered). Seat numbers: 3F 1st row, No. 6 (left side) and 3F 1st row, No. 53 (right side).

If you look towards the back, you can see that the seats on both sides of the 3rd floor protrude considerably from the middle seats on the 2nd floor. When you actually sit down, it's hard to believe that you're sitting on the 3rd floor, so close to the stage! Some customers even request seats on the third floor.

For 2F seats, the seat numbers are "2F 1st row No. 6 (left side)" and "2F 1st row No. 55 (right side)". I was actually seated to see how close it was to the stage, and I was surprised at how close it was to the stage! Moreover, there are no obstructions in front of you, so you can clearly see the entire stage.

This is what it looks like when you look at the seats from the stage as if you were a performer.

Seating capacity: 2,433. Including wheelchair seats and standing room seats, this hall boasts an overwhelmingly large capacity, with a total capacity of 2,493 seats. (When using the orchestra pit, the number of seats on the 1st floor will be reduced by 190 seats.)

Well, that's all for now. Next time we'll be on stage in the large hall and take a peek behind the scenes! We also sneak into a small hall where pipe organ and chamber music concerts are held! looking forward to