University of Tsukuba Hospital Hall,
University of Tsukuba Hospital Kirinoha mall

Improving space utilization with the retractable seating

that supports conferences and practical training at a university hospital
In April 2020, a new amenity mall “Kirinoha Mall” was opened at the University of Tsukuba Hospital. What was newly built on the second floor was an auditorium that made multipurpose use of the space possible.
The auditorium construction project was initiated aiming to create a more enhanced environment for lectures and seminars, which had previously been held in the hospital’s community space and other facilities in the prefecture. KOTOBUKI SEATING’s electromotive retractable seating system was introduced considering occasions requiring desks and chairs such as at department conferences, meetings, and committee gatherings, as well as situations requiring a large flat floor space, such as for practical skills training. The retractable seating system was already highly regarded in other facilities on the campus, which was a deciding factor in their choice. A sliding wall was also installed in the center of the room, allowing the space to be divided into two separate areas as required. The high convenience offered by the synergistic effect with the retractable seating system brought about an almost 100% occupancy rate on weekdays.

Luxury seating can be taken in and put out in three minutes

The retractable seats are movable staircase-style seating that can be deployed and stowed away. Because there are many occasions when seating is required in the auditorium, seats usually remain unfolded and have been used in the same way as fixed seating. When a flat, larger space is required, 126 seats can be folded by pressing a remote control switch, stacking 8 rows of the seats, and stowing them against the wall at the rear of the auditorium, which takes approximately 3 minutes. The greatest advantage of the retractable seating is that anyone can quickly and easily operate the staircase-style seating that offers spectators a good view of the event. 
Luxury Type L was selected for the seating from the user’s point of view. The three-dimensionally shaped backrest conforms to the seated person’s body line, and the polyurethane-filled seats are generously thick enough to offer a comfortable seating experience even after long sitting hours. They decided on the upholstery color to be a vivid blue after considering the harmony with “Tsukuba Purple” which is the University of Tsukuba’s school color and “Future Blue” the second school color, as well as with the interior and the stackable seating. The finished color for pleasant-to-touch solid wood armrests is a light natural one, while the backboard and elbow frame are a dark color.
At department conferences, meetings, and committee gatherings, because there are many situations where desks are required for taking notes and using a computer, front folding tables that can be compatible with laptop-sized items were installed. Users can store the table in the box on the backrest of the front-row seating and pull it out as needed. Silent design minimizes the noise when the users pull it out and store it away, preventing any disturbance of what is happening on the podium. The table is also designed to retract slowly into the storage box even when it is lifted quickly, preventing accidents such as fingers being caught in the box.

Facility Overview

Tsukuba University Hospital is the only Special Functioning Hospital in Ibaraki Prefecture. It functions as a place for medical treatment associated with medical science education and research, as well as providing advanced medical care to the community and fulfills its social mission as a university hospital. The new amenity mall “Kirinoha Mall” was established through a PPP project (representative company: Lawson, Inc.) aiming to improve services for patients and other hospital users as well as to enhance the welfare of university staff. A dispensing pharmacy, a barber, and a convenience store are located on the first floor, while an auditorium and health promotion facility are located on the second floor.

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