Goda Hall（Main Hall）,
Ibaraki City Child-reading Support Complex ONIKURU

Oct. 31,2024

Theater / Hall

Kitashin Hall

Project Description

A large hall in a cultural and childcare complex that is expected to be used for multiple purposes

ONIKURU, located in Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, is a cultural and childcare complex opened in November 2023 on the site of the former civic hall.
The large hall, which seats 1,201 people, took over the functions of the former civic hall and was nicknamed GODA Hall after a naming rights partner was sought. Equipped with movable stage reflectors and apron stage, it can be used for a variety of purposes, from concert style to proscenium style. In addition to performances of a wide range of genres, such as authentic classical music, traditional performing arts, and game music, the venue also hosts city events such as the “Coming of Age Ceremony”.

The two-tiered seating area is upholstered in custom-made red fabric

The hall space is upholstered in primarily red seats, matching the interior design. The fabric was produced by FABRIKO, a group company of Kotobuki Seating, based on a design by Yoko Ando, the designer who coordinated the textiles for the entire facility. The theme is “sprouting.” At first glance, the seat appears to be solid red, but when you unfold the seat, you'll see that the backrest has a green-to-red gradation from the bottom to the top. The gradation of color changes in the reddish bud color gives the design a sense of the “breath of life”. The chairs in the family rooms on both sides at the rear of the hall are also upholstered in the same fabric.
The two-tiered seating area forms a gentle arc around the stage. Both the first- and second-floor seats are divided into left, right and center blocks, with the center block arranged in a staggered layout to ensure the best view of the stage. The seat height in the last two rows on the second floor, which are the farthest from the stage, has been set high to ensure good sight lines. There is also a footrest bar to keep your feet stable when seated. The floors up to the fifth row on the first floor, including the seats, can be raised and lowered using a lifting mechanism. In the ninth row facing the wide horizontal aisle, there are movable seats with special units at the base so that the seats can be removed to create space for 18 wheelchairs.

Barrier-free seating designed for high seating comfort

The seats are designed with gentle curves to match the interior of the hall. The seats are lined up side by side with no gaps between them, creating a sense of unity throughout the auditorium and evoking the image of residents coming close to one another and supporting one another. The wooden parts are painted a calm brown color that harmonizes with the floor. Seat numbers in white lettering on a black background are written on the edge of the backboards, and row numbers are written in large letters on the red carpet in the aisles, making it easy to find your seat. The backrests of the seats facing the vertical aisle are equipped with handles to provide support when passing through or going up and down stairs. By modifying the edges of the straight backboard, the handles blend naturally into the audience seating without being too noticeable.
The backrest consists of a 3D curved cushion to conform to the posture, and the seat is made of serpentine springs that disperse body weight and molded polyurethane that is resistant to denting, providing firm support for the body even when watching for long periods of time. The Spacia seat shape, which is thinner at the tip of the seat where it touches the back of the user’s knee, was adopted after the hall staff themselves confirmed the comfort of the seat. Compared to the conventional type, the new type provides more legroom, making it easier to pull one's legs out and enabling smooth standing up.

Facility Overview

The Ibaraki City cultural and childcare complex “ONIKURU” was opened in November 2023, after an interactive study by the administration and residents regarding the use of the former civic center site, which had been closed in 2015.
The name of the facility was chosen from a public contest, inspired by the city mascot “Ibaraki Doji,” an ogre character, which means “a place where even scary ogres would enjoy themselves and want to come”. Kotobuki Seating supplied seats for Goda Hall, which seats approximately 1,200, has varied functions—such as a hall, a library, childcare support, a planetarium, and a resident activity center—and can accommodate a wide range of stage performances, and Kitashin Hall, where stacking chairs allow flexible use of seating space. The design concept of the facility, in which each of the seven floors is connected by a “vertical path” or stairwell through the building, is “Something happens every day and you meet someone.”