Hall,
Setagaya Civic Hall

Jan. 16,2025

Theater / Hall

Project Description

Renewal of the former Setagaya Civic Hall, designed by Kunio Maekawa, to carry on the legacy of the hall

In the construction of the new Setagaya Civic Hall, the emphasis was placed on maintaining the spatial characteristics of the old facility, designed by Kunio Maekawa, which has been a representative building of the ward for over 60 years and well known by its residents. The hall, which was reopened in September 2024 after renovation of the old hall's structure, has an improved seismic resistance and a completely new roof and interior, as well as a new entrance hall and dressing rooms. The interior preserves the folded-plate structure of angled concrete planks, which formed the highly impressive exterior of the old hall.

Universal design of seating areas friendly to the elderly, wheelchair users, and small children

The seating, which is continuous from the front row to the last row, and the balcony seats that line both sides of the auditorium, keep the layout inherited from the old hall. The rear seats, bordered by a central horizontal aisle, are equipped with handles on the backrests of the aisle seats to assist in climbing stairs, especially for the elderly.

There are 933 seats in the auditorium, or 902 if the movable front stage is used by moving two rows of seats from the front row. By moving the movable seats in the third to fifth rows, a wheelchair space for up to 11 seats can be created. Wheelchair spaces can also be provided in the blocks on either side of the last row, with two seats on each side, to ensure smooth access to the seats.

Two new family rooms have been built at the rear of the auditorium, allowing parents and children to enjoy the performance together without worrying about their surroundings.

A new seat that inherits the image of the original and creates harmony in space

The seating in the old hall had undergone a renewal over its 65-year history, with seats in different colors from the original. For this renovation, red upholstery was chosen to reproduce the image of the original auditorium in the old hall at the time of the completion, for a bright and gorgeous decoration of the new hall. The upholstery was designed by FABRIKO, a Kotobuki Seating Group company, using the zelkova trees that are the symbol of the Setagaya City Office as a motif. The family seating is also upholstered in the same textile.

Each seat is 70 mm wide with a seat pitch 50 mm wider, allowing for more comfortable seating. The backrests are designed to be tapered at the top, echoing the interior walls of the hall. The straight backboard, which creates a clean back profile, is equipped with a 3D curved cushion to comfortably support the body of the seated person during long hours of viewing. The arch-shaped armrests are designed to be user-friendly so that neighboring users can casually share the position of their arms. The use of straight lines in the contours, including the legs, harmonizes with the interior and creates a sense of unity in the hall space.

The seat is Spacia, which is thinner at the tip of the seat where it touches the back of the users’ knees. Compared to the conventional type, the new type provides more legroom, making it easier to pull the legs out, and enabling smooth standing up and sitting down. Despite its thinness, the seat contains serpentine springs that disperse body weight and molded polyurethane that resists denting, providing a rich seating comfort. Unobtrusive details such as underfoot lights embedded in the legs and brass-colored circular row number plates affixed to the backrests of the aisle seats add to the hall's charm as classical accents.

Facility Overview

Designed by Kunio Maekawa, one of Japan's leading architects, the Setagaya Civic Hall was opened in the spring of 1959, together with the Setagaya City Office. It was an impressive structure consisting of several buildings with exposed concrete surfaces, surrounding pilotis and plaza, but the decision was made to rebuild against the backdrop of its deterioration. The reconstruction was divided into three phases starting in 2021, with the first-phase building and the Civic Hall completed in the spring of 2024. The hall was reopened in September of the same year. Starting with the opening performance, many events and performances in a variety of genres were planned.

Project Summary

Location: Setagaya City, Tokyo Map

Client: City of Setagaya

Design: AXS SATOW INC.

Renewed: Sep, 2024

Seats: 933

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Hall,Setagaya Civic Hall