SHIMANTO HALL,
SHIMANTOPIA

Shimantopia: A new cultural hub born from the integration of three former city facilities

In April 2024, the Shimanto City Cultural Center Shimantopia opened its doors, establishing a new hub for cultural activities. The new facility replaced three aging city buildings: the community center, the cultural center, and the women's center. The main hall of the former cultural center was succeeded by the spacious Shimanto Hall on the first floor, which maintains the same 805-seat capacity. It was designed to host a wide variety of events, including full-scale classical concerts, live performances, theatrical productions, ceremonies, and lectures. The hall's interior, ceiling, and stage make extensive use of Shimanto cypress, a local specialty.

A unique design: the Shimanto Vineyard and custom-designed seating

A distinctive feature of Shimanto Hall is its seating layout, which is composed of several elevated blocks arranged like a vineyard. While the hall has a total capacity of 805, this design allows it to be reconfigured for different scales of events—around 300, 450, or 600 seats—by opening only specific sections. This unique seating arrangement, unparalleled in the region, is celebrated as the "Shimanto Vineyard." Combined with the hall's hexagonal shape, which gently embraces the seating area, the layout creates a sense of both dynamism and unity.
The central seating blocks on the first and second floors feature a staggered arrangement, with seats offset between rows to improve sightlines. The seats themselves were specially designed. Each one has a fully cushioned backrest, framed by a slim wooden border painted in dark brown. The underside of the seats and the legs are finished in the same tone, creating a refined, luxurious atmosphere. The backrest, shaped with a three-dimensional curve that follows the natural contour of the body, complements the hall's flowing architectural lines and gives a sense of calm.
The upholstery was developed by FABRIKO, a Kotobuki Seating group company, in two shades of red inspired by the four seasons along the Shimanto River. Its striped gradient pattern evokes the shimmering surface of the river as it reflects the changing scenery. FABRIKO also designed the stage curtain, whose red tones and shimmering motif recall the iconic iron bridge reflected in the river, ensuring harmony with the seating.

Universal design with the audience in mind

With the goal of creating a hall that would be loved by residents, the design prioritizes audience comfort and accessibility. The seats feature Kotobuki's "Spacia" design, in which the front edge of the seat is tapered to relieve pressure behind the knees. This shape creates extra legroom, allowing for greater comfort during long performances. It also makes it easier for other audience members to pass along the row, as users can easily pull their legs back. The simple movement of pulling one's legs back when standing up is less physically demanding, even for elderly visitors. Hall representatives compared the Spacia design with conventional seating during the selection process and ultimately chose it for its superior usability.
The hall includes six wheelchair areas and two multipurpose rooms that can be accessed without steps from the reception area and foyer, creating an inclusive environment where everyone can feel safe and comfortable.

Facility overview

The Shimanto City Cultural Center Shimantopia was newly built and opened in April 2024 to replace the city’s aging community center, cultural center, and women’s center. The JA Kochi building that had housed these facilities also needed to be replaced. This led the city and JA Kochi to sign a basic agreement to consolidate and relocate the facilities through a public-private initiative. The project contributes to compact city planning by revitalizing the city center and creating a lively hub of activity.
In addition to its large and small halls, the facility includes a music studio, a kitchen studio, an exhibition room, and conference rooms. It is also designated as an evacuation site in the event of a disaster.