Multi-Purpose Hall,
Minato Ward Land Readjustmen Commemorative Hall

Osaka City Minato Ward's new exchange hub commemorating the land readjustment project

Minato Ward in Osaka City has overcome chronic high-tide damage and transformed itself into a disaster-resilient city through a massive, globally rare land readjustment project. This involved raising approximately 90% of the area by about 2 meters of embankment. In April 2024, the Minato Ward Land Readjustment Commemorative Hall opened to commemorate this project. Aiming to be a "hub for conveying the development," a "starting point for exchange," and a "Disaster Prevention Center," the facility provides various spaces, including the Multi-Purpose Hall, where people of all generations can gather, interact, and engage in activities.
The multi-purpose Hall, which can accommodate approximately 400 people, is located on the seventh and eighth floors. To ensure the hall is easily accessible to everyone and to enhance its capacity to host a wide range of events such as concerts, recitals, and lectures, a retractable seating system—which had a proven track record in other ward centers within the city—was introduced. As many local governments consider retractable seating systems amid a national trend of building multi-complex facilities to replace aging civic and community centers, this facility is drawing significant attention.
The seating layout's versatility is expanded by combining 288 seats of the retractable seating system with 111 stacking chairs. To the rear, lower side of the audience seating, there is a family room partitioned by soundproof glass windows, featuring sofa-type family seats.

Retractable seating system that deploys and retracts seating with a remote control

The retractable seating system is movable seating that can deploy and retract tiered seats. The fully automatic Recessed Model selected for the Multi-Purpose Hall allows the chairs to be stored into the hall's rear wall with a remote control and easily deployed again with another button press. Since the retractable seating system extends fully to both side walls, its visual impression is similar to that of conventional floor-fixed seating, giving it a neat and attractive appearance.
The wide horizontal passage between the seventh and eighth tiers overlaps the top of the hall's entrance doors when the seating is deployed. To ensure safety, manual handrails were installed to prevent falls. Since the back row connects to the upper floor via a vertical passage, entry and exit during a performance are possible without crossing in front of the stage, thus avoiding distraction to other audience members.

Diverse layouts achieved with two coordinated chair types

The Type S chairs installed in the retractable seating system have a simple design with polyurethane cushions. When unoccupied, the seat is stored snugly against the backrest, balancing comfort with ample passage space. The stacking chairs arranged in front are the "Axis" FC-310 series. Their seat features a dual-layer structure of polyurethane foam and a resin fiber core, providing a comfortable sitting experience with moderate resilience.
Although the chairs have different designs, both feature upholstered backs and seats, and by using the same blue upholstery, the overall atmosphere of the audience seating is unified. It is possible to create diverse seating layouts by either deploying both the retractable seating system and the stacking chairs fully, using only one type, or arranging the stacking chairs in circular or facing configurations.
A dedicated cart for storing the stacking chairs beneath the stage is also provided, contributing to space-saving. The custom steps for accessing the stage were also supplied with barrier-free handrails.

Facility overview

The "Minato District Reconstruction Land Readjustment Project" in Osaka City's Minato Ward was carried out from 1948 to 1992. Commemorating this globally rare, large-scale land readjustment project, the Minato Ward Land Readjustment Commemorative Hall opened in April 2024. The facility houses the Community Center, Senior Welfare Center, Children and Childcare Plaza, and the Minato Library. With connectivity to the Osaka Metro Bentencho Station and the Osaka Minato Chuo Hospital via a connecting walkway on the third floor, it is a highly convenient exchange hub, expected to foster community ties across all generations.

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