MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall (Renewed)

MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall - symbolizing Kawasaki, the City of Music

Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall opened in July 2004 in the 'Muza Kawasaki' commercial complex.

The name 'Muza' comes from the words 'music' and 'seat'. It is a place where people gather, interact, and make an impression through music. It was named with the aim of enriching the city of Kawasaki by offering diverse opportunities for everyone to engage with music. Since its opening, the concert hall has shaped the legacy of 'Kawasaki, City of Music' by serving as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra's flagship venue through its franchise partnership with Kawasaki City, and by hosting performances of internationally acclaimed orchestras.

The music hall, which seats 1,997, is designed in a vineyard style, with the audience seating surrounding the stage in 360 degrees, resembling the terraces of a vineyard. In this format, the seating area is divided into several blocks, which are arranged on different levels to create a rich and expansive sound experience. The backrests, armrests, and leg panels between the seats are thoughtfully crafted from abundant natural wood to enhance the acoustics and sound reverberation. The upholstered seat backs also bridge the acoustic gap between rehearsals with vacant seats and live performances with a full audience, ensuring a seamless audio experience.

Following the devastating 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the concert hall faced a closure of nearly two years due to damages, including fallen ceiling finishes. However, now the building has been transformed due to the latest earthquake-resistant reinforcements carried out. The ceiling's grand acoustic reflectors remain unchanged, maintaining the exquisite sound that has garnered praise from musicians worldwide since the hall's inception.

Barrier-free seating, supported by 'Stability Bars'

One of the major challenges for the hall in the 13 years since its opening has been to make the auditorium barrier-free. The intricate and asymmetric spiral design of the auditorium posed potential hazards of accidents, including slips and trips in the aisles and stairs of the upper floors.

To address this issue, the initial solution involved incorporating steel handrails, with some sections already equipped with them since the building's inception. However, the extended construction period and the potential for substantial aesthetic damage posed counterarguments to this proposal. Kotobuki Seating's 'stability bars' emerged as the winning solution.

The 'stability bars' are optional accessories that provide support when climbing up/down stairs and when passing through aisles. Kotobuki Seating has utilized its extensive seat-crafting expertise to create a stability bar that exceling in size, shape, tactile feel, and sturdiness despite its simple shape. The color can be matched with the existing seats in the hall to maintain the aesthetic appeal.

To naturally support people while climbing up/down, we attached the bars onto the backrests of the aisle-side seats, offering a convenient and secure grip for stability. With minimal disruption, we carefully attached them to the seats during no-performance time or on adjustment days, earning accolades for our efficient completion of the task within a tight timeframe.

Visitors were impressed by the user-friendly design immediately after the installation of the initial 30 stability bars, commending the bar placement at a natural hand-holding position. The number of bars was then increased to around 100, spanning the entire seating area. The MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall continues to evolve toward creating barrier-free seating.