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File.21 Learn Maekawa Architecture at the Prefectural Youth Center
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)
The Momijigaoka area of Yokohama is home to a collection of buildings designed by Kunio Maekawa, the standard-bearer of postwar modernist architecture in Japan. The Prefectural Library and the Prefectural Music Hall have already been toured, so only the Youth Center remains.
This time, in addition to the "architecture tour" conducted by the volunteer group Bridge, I heard that there would also be a "stage backyard tour" conducted by the hall staff, and a lecture by Director Hashimoto of Maekawa Architectural Design Office, so I hurriedly headed out. saw.
The Prefectural Youth Center was completed in 1962. It was originally a five-story complex that included a theater hall, a planetarium, and a science exhibition hall. Afterwards, large-scale renovation work was carried out to improve functionality and make it earthquake resistant. It was reborn in its current form in 2005.
This major renovation won the 19th BELCA Best Renovation Award as an excellent example of extending the lifespan of public facilities. In 2018, it was additionally recognized as a modern movement architecture in Japan by DOCOMOMO JAPAN, following the Prefectural Library and Music Hall.
* Click here for the architectural tour report of the Prefectural Music Hall>>>
* Click here for the report on the architectural tour of the Prefectural Library>>>
The library and music hall are representative works of Maekawa's first period of architecture. The Youth Center, on the other hand, was designed during the transition period from the second period to the third period, so it is interesting that it has characteristics of both.
One of the features is the "precast concrete" used for window frames and other parts. Concrete plates and other materials were made in advance at a factory and assembled on site.
Another feature is the "embedded tiles". As the surface of the exposed concrete exterior walls deteriorates rapidly, the aim was to cover them with large tiles to improve durability and design. You can see it up close from the front entrance, around the entrance of the hall.
By the way, each tile weighs about 10 kg (!). I agree with the anecdote that it was unpopular with the craftsmen who were building it.
During the major renovation in 2005, a major challenge was to preserve and inherit as much of the exterior as possible while improving its seismic performance. For this reason, the planetarium, observatory, fourth floor floor slab, etc. were removed to reduce the weight of the building, and earthquake-resistant walls were installed. It has been transformed into a heavy and sturdy three-story building.
Currently, when I look up on the third floor, I notice that there is a mysterious space in the area that corresponds to the ceiling. This seems to be evidence of the removal of the 4th floor floor slab.
Evidence of the major renovation can be seen on the stairs leading from the first floor lobby to the second floor. Can you see that on the second floor wall on the left side, there are still remains of the ``plastered tiles'' that were used for the exterior wall? Yes, this is an extension and was once an outdoor space. Before the renovation, an external staircase was used to reach the second floor, so for convenience, the building was expanded and a new dedicated staircase was installed.
Speaking of youth centers, Momijizaka Hall!
This place was also extensively renovated in 2005, except for the walls. Of course, the sound, lighting, and other stage equipment had been completely renovated, but it seems that renewing the stage curtains was also a major issue.
The stage curtain was created by Yasushi Sugiyama, a master of Japanese painting. Although it is a valuable item with only a few remaining in Japan, it cannot be denied that it has deteriorated over time. Therefore, we carefully examined the original stage curtain to find its original color, and just like last time, we commissioned a workshop in Kyoto that produces a filling thread weave, which is extremely rare for stage curtains. He made a wonderful comeback.
By the way, some of the original stage curtains are displayed in the lobby, so please take a look when you visit the youth center.
Personally, I was happy that the width of the seat was increased from 46cm to 52cm. Although the number of seats has been reduced from 1,000 to 812, they have been staggered so that they do not overlap with the seats in front, making it more comfortable to watch.
Although the walls of the hall remain the same as before, they are actually packed with amazing innovations.
The structure is called a ``Helmholtz resonator,'' and there is a sound-absorbing space behind the tiles, which controls the overall resonance of the hall. The reverberation time is 1.8 seconds, which is slightly longer than the music hall. I thought it was just a design (sorry), but I was surprised to see that it was doing something physically amazing!
For this report, in addition to the information provided by everyone at Bridge, we also referred to a lecture by Director Hashimoto of Maekawa Architects.
thank you very much!
One last point.
This year, the plaza in front of the youth center has been renovated and has become a pleasant space. The camphor tree towering in the center is thought to be the same tree depicted in ukiyo-e prints from the time when the Kanagawa Magistrate's Office was established on this land, and it can now be considered a symbol of Momijigaoka.
Mr. Maekawa valued the space that approaches a building, and apparently even designed a space he called the ``Esplanade.'' At the time of designing the Momijigaoka area, there seems to be no evidence that the name was used, but Director Hashimoto believes that ``the newly developed space deserves to be called the Esplanade.''
