Great to listen to! Great to watch! Enjoy the modernism of Maekawa's architecture at the Prefectural Music Hall.

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File.17 Maekawa Architectural Tour at the Concert Hall
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)

Kanagawa Prefectural Music Hall — commonly known as "The Wooden Hall".
I think there isn't a classical music fan who doesn't know him, but with the recent architecture boom, he's gaining new fans.
The design is by Kunio Maekawa. Yes, he is one of Japan's leading architects, having studied under the architectural giant Le Corbusier.
Putting aside the technical details, it's simply stylish and cool!
Hearing that a "Maekawa Architectural Tour" was being held to celebrate the museum's 65th anniversary and reopening after renovations, I eagerly went to check it out.

Let's start with the entrance, which features a striking yellow frame.
The balcony walls are made of "hollow brick," the same material used in the neighboring prefectural library. While it's apparently a highly functional design, its adoption in the concert hall seems to be primarily for aesthetic consistency. For more details, please refer to last year's report.
*Click here for the library architecture tour report >>

The entrance hall immediately reveals Maekawa's meticulous attention to color. It's easy to nod in agreement to the anecdote that Maekawa was so passionate about color that he said, "If I hadn't become an architect, I would have wanted to be a painter."
Although it's not a large space, the vibrant and impactful use of color lifts the spirits, making it perhaps a fitting design for the entrance to a concert hall.

One of the features that gives a sense of Maekawa's architecture is the bright and open foyer.
The columns, standing tall and orderly, possess a certain elegance and dignity despite being made of concrete. Upon closer inspection, one can see a wood grain pattern, which is apparently due to the fact that they were made by pouring hand-mixed concrete into frames made of wooden planks. Looking back now, it seems like an extremely analog construction method, but the concrete of that era was said to be far stronger and more beautiful than it is today.
The floor is made using a technique called "terrazzo" (polished artificial stone), which also has a handcrafted feel, but even after 65 years, it shows no signs of deterioration.

The concert hall, which underwent renovations over a year and two months starting last year and has been beautifully restored, was created with the concept of "returning it to its appearance 65 years ago." Therefore, the lighting fixtures are also the same as when it was first built. However, the light sources have been changed to LEDs, so environmental considerations have not been neglected.
Incidentally, the reason the ceiling is uneven and looks like a staircase is because the seating area is directly above it. It's designed in a gentle, stepped pattern to match the slope of the second-floor seating.

So, we went inside the hall.
The concert hall was designed based on London's Royal Festival Hall. Although it's considerably smaller in scale, the tiered seating extends from the front row to the back row, so you can enjoy a great view of the stage from any seat.
According to Seikou Ishikawa, who was in charge of the acoustic design, the absence of protrusions such as a second-floor balcony also has advantages in terms of sound resonance.

As its nickname "The Wooden Hall" suggests, everything from the sound reflectors on the stage to the walls and ceiling of the auditorium is made of wood. Even the wave-like ceiling is, of course, made of wood.
Given that it was shortly after the war, there were few options other than using wood, but through careful consideration and ingenuity, they managed to create a sound that was praised by musicians around the world as "the finest sound in the Orient," which is truly remarkable.

Also, pay attention to the wall at the back of the second floor seats!
The perforated boards are folded like a screen. This is another technique to prevent sound from echoing excessively. This wall has also been thoroughly cleaned and repainted, giving it a remarkably high-quality appearance.

We also toured the instrument storage room located at the back of the stage wings. To protect the delicate instruments, the temperature and humidity inside are constantly controlled. In other words, this is "the most comfortable place in the concert hall."

This is the dressing room backstage. I wondered why there was a concrete pillar standing in the middle... and it turns out this is a space that was added later. In other words, they incorporated a pillar that was originally standing outside. It has a very handmade feel to it.

I've been to the concert hall many times, but this might be the first time I've seen the stage curtain. Don't ask, "Is it really necessary?" There's a profound reason for it.
The plan for the concert hall was conceived shortly after the war. Apparently, some in the assembly objected, saying, "We're struggling to even afford food, so why are we building a concert hall?" In order to convince these voices, the plan was promoted as a "public hall that everyone can use," and as a result, theater equipment such as a stage curtain and projection screen was added.
However, the stage curtain is also designed by Maekawa. Apparently, it was newly made based on historical documents, so if you have the chance, be sure to take a closer look.

Just as Maekawa designed chairs for libraries, he also designed various pieces of furniture needed for concert halls. For example, poster display boards. Their functional and modern designs are so lovely that you'd want to make miniatures of them and display them on your desk.

I had overlooked it before, but the music stands and the chairs the musicians sit on are also designed by Maekawa. The simple, uncluttered chairs would look great in a stylish cafe too.

Finally, let's take a look back at the foyer after the customers have left.
I usually love the foyer because it's filled with the excitement of a concert and the thrill of something out of the ordinary.
But I also thought that a silent concert hall on a day without a concert can be a happy place too...

We were guided by the volunteer group bridge. They conduct activities such as architectural tours as a way to familiarize people with local culture and art, based on the three keywords of "enjoy," "learn," and "connect."
thank you very much!

The "Maekawa Architectural Tour at the Concert Hall" will continue to be held in the future.
I participated in the full course this time (approximately 60 minutes, participation fee 500 yen).
The short course, which lasts about 20 minutes, requires no prior registration and is free to participate in, so please feel free to come along!
*For more details, please visit the special website.