Main Arena,
Nikkan Arena Tochigi

Feb. 02,2023

Sports and Entertainment FacilityIndoor Arena

Project Description

From professional sports games to community use: Bustling Main Arena of Nikkan Arena Tochigi

Tochigi Prefecture had been developing the Sports Park in preparation for the 77th National Sports Festival in 2022, with the goal of creating "a base for the promotion of sports, that residents of the prefecture will love and cherish". Nikkan Arena Tochigi, a large-scale sports complex, opened in the Park's eastern area in April 2021.

The main arena, which is the size of four basketball courts, can accommodate 5,040 people. It is the largest space in the facility, worthy of hosting B.LEAGUE and other professional sports. The area can be divided into four sections by a ball net and is actively used by local sports clubs.

Retractable Seating Platforms with blow-molded arena seats for durability and comfort

The Retractable Seating Platform (RSP) by Kotobuki Seating is used for the arena floor audience seating. The most important feature of the RSP is its flexibility; you can open it fully to deploy the seats when an audience is expected, such as for an event. When it is not in use, you can retract it and use the open space as a sports facility. The main units of the four blocks of the RSP that surround the arena's four sides are of two types: three are wall-mounted and one is mobile which can be set up in any position. The mounted seats are black in color to match the dark theme of the main unit. When the seats are deployed, they blend in with the black upper level concrete walls and the walls surrounding the arena floor to create a cool and stylish event space.

The seats used with the RSP are blow molded seats - Vision - created by blow molding high-density polyethylene. The "double shell," a hollow structure created in the center of the chair by blow molding, provides comfort, as does the large back seat, which gives you a comfortable seating experience. When unoccupied, the seat can be retracted to compactly store it. The depth at storage time is a mere 260 mm. This comfortable audience seating offers a large seating area while watching games. When unoccupied, it gives ample space for standing and passing through.

The total number of seats in the four RSP blocks is 1,992. The front row of each block is set 560 mm to 1200 mm higher than the floor. The audience can watch the game easily from an elevated height than the floor. Even if officials' seats or benches are placed in front of the RSP, they do not hinder the audience's view of the happenings. For ease of access, the last row of the RSP is connected to the aisle in front of the second-floor's first row.

BLM-8000 series seats on upper floors for a unified look

The fixed seats on the second through fourth floors are from the BLM-8000 series, with blow-molded seats similar to the RSP seats, VISION. Even though this chair has a smaller size than VISION, the gently curved backrest and seat snuggle around the occupant to give unparalleled comfort tipping the scales in its favor. All 3,048 seats have the same black color as the VISION chair creating a unified feel.

Facility Overview

Nikkan Arena Tochigi opened in April 2021 in the east area as part of the comprehensive sports area development of the Tochigi Prefectural Sports Park Athletic Field. This large-scale sports complex includes a sub arena, an indoor swimming pool, and fitness facilities in addition to the Main Arena, which can host professional sports competitions. Nikkan Arena Tochigi was awarded the Good Design Award in 2021 for its design, which expresses the unique charms of Tochigi, such as the lush green hills and the exterior motif of the Oya Stone Mining Site, while considering the park's overall ambience.