Recreating the scene of "Japan's Famous Waterfall"
Theater for the Performing Arts - a place for new cultural dissemination

Bringing culture to the city, to people, and to the future. The 'Minoh Theater for the Performing Arts' opened on August 1, 2021 as a new base for cultural dissemination in Minoh City.
The 1,401-seat Grand Hall can be used for a wide range of events, from live performances such as concerts, ballets, musicals, and plays to previews and lectures. The audience seating is inspired by the autumn leaves at the Minoh Falls, a well-known tourist attraction in Minoh City. Expressive chairs with stitched patterns representing the leaf veins are installed in the hall.
In this interview, we spoke with Matsumoto, the Director of the facility, and Kodama and Horikawa from Kume Sekkei, who designed the facility. We discussed about the project of the station-front including the theater, and the details about the chairs - from their stitching to their installation.

Developing the station-front, in line with a new station

――Could you tell us about the overall perspective behind this project, including the Minoh Theater for the Performing Arts?

Kodama

About 50 years back, textile wholesalers moved to Minoh from the Semba district of Osaka. At the time, construction of a new station* was proposed. This project was planned as a cultural facility under an urban development project to accompany the construction of the new station. The overall plan includes a building with a theater, library, and lifelong learning center, with the campus of Osaka University's Faculty of Foreign Languages located at the back. The plaza in front of the facility is a pedestrian walkway - it allows pedestrians to freely commute between the facilities. The first floor below this is a bicycle parking area, and its proximity to the station makes the facility very convenient.
As designers, we thought that we should give the station-front its own identity.
First of all, the library is now run by Osaka University, so we placed it on the north side, where it is closer to the campus. We thought it would be better to place the theater - the focal point - in such a way that its symbolic volume (size) would be visible from the station side. Furthermore, by dividing the entire space into box-like units and giving each box a unique character, we created a facility that is friendly and easy-to-use for the citizens. The units are set back from the road as one moves upward, creating a three-dimensional structure that does not intimidate pedestrians while fostering a more lively atmosphere.
*The construction work for extending the Namboku Line of Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway began in 2017. The "Minoh Semba Handai-mae" Station, the closest to the Minoh Theater for the Performing Arts, will open in FY2023.

Matsumoto

We heard that the exterior of the building was inspired by the image of a "winnowing basket".

Kodama

A series of boxes with the space divided into sections forms the exterior. We thought about creating an identity for the station-front by giving the boxes a distinct personality. When thinking about the uniqueness typical of Minoh, we hit upon the letter for "Mino (winnow)" in Minoh. A "winnow" is a basket-like agricultural tool used to separate rice husks from grain. Another thing is that the textile complex on the premises has always been involved with textiles, and we wondered if we could use the textiles and "winnow" in the representation. So in the Grand Hall, we fashioned the top area as if it were made of woven perforated metal.
Also, we have used louvers in the rehearsal room above the Small Hall to give it a look slightly resembling threads. This gives the large box a personality of its own, creating a cheerful and lively ambience.

Matsumoto

I understand the design philosophy of the building and will faithfully adhere to it. Everyday, I bear in mind that I have to make the best use of the design, and that I have to make it a facility that will please the citizens who are the majority of our users.

Grand Hall - recreating the scene of Minoh Falls

――I heard that the design of the Grand Hall was inspired by the famous Minoh Falls.

Kodama

The Grand Hall was created keeping in mind the "Minoh Falls" (located in Minoh Park), one of Minoh's famous sightseeing spots. When I saw the waterfall surrounded by rocks and beautiful autumn leaves, I thought what a great thing it would be to watch different performances at such a place.
So we partitioned the ceiling and illuminated it to give an impression of sunshine streaming through the dense trees. We also accentuated the walls vertically to give them the feel of the rock face and waterfall. We arranged the rows of seats in the seating area such that they resemble water ripples spreading around the area where the waterfall plunges in the waterfall basin. The overall image projected there is that of autumn leaves falling on the water and spreading over the entire area. When the audience sits there and listens to a variety of performances, it gives off a uniquely Minoh-like vibe.

――So the seating represents the autumn leaves of Minoh Falls, and the chairs represent individual leaves.

Horikawa

That is right. We chose four impressive traditional Japanese colors for the chair's upholstery. These colors evoke an enchanting feeling like witnessing autumn leaves at the Minoh Falls. We have also added stitches resembling the veins of the autumn leaves in those colors. This fully expresses the unique Minoh-ness.
The leaf motif is also expressed in other ways besides stitching. For example, we slightly rounded the corners of the chairs' side panels to imitate the shape of a leaf. Since the audience enters the theater from the back, we wondered if we could add some more design essence to the chairs' back as well, so we dug a groove at the bottom of the backboard to make it look like a leaf line. In the center, we applied a light coat of paint so that the wood grain is slightly visible, and on the sides we used a darker color so that the shape of the leaf would stand out.

　　

Matsumoto

Your first impression on entering the Grand Hall is that it has a warm atmosphere. I was a little concerned about the seating being too colorful, but when the audience entered the hall for the performance, they really loved the hall. They said the seating was comfortable and the color scheme with four different colors was very nice.
Some performers have told us that they find it easy to perform here. I probably should not be saying this, but I think one of the major factors is that the four colors are randomly interspersed so that vacant seats are less noticeable (laughs). With one color, empty seats are more noticeable, which is not the case here. I think it is a great advantage that you can perform without worrying about such things to some extent.

Stitching as a method of expression

――Can you tell us about the stitching process?

Horikawa

When the design team discussed about using the "Minoh Falls" as a motif, we decided that we wanted to explore possibilities for a new chair. We thought it would be a good idea to present "stitches unique to this place". When we discussed this with Kotobuki Seating, they said they could do curved stitching, which opened up a world of possibilities.
They stitched exactly along the lines we had marked, and we were able to achieve a good balance. For the other parts, we tried several paint schemes. We also tried different patterns for the curved shapes on the sides of the legs. We consulted with everyone on the team before deciding the final design. We also had Matsumoto try out sample chairs for gauging the seating comfort.

Matsumoto

The seating really is very comfortable. Even if you sit for a long time, you will not feel any fatigue. Above all, I think they thought a lot about making it easy to see the stage. The spacing between the front and back of the seating is a major factor contributing to the comfort. It is a very small detail, but they have diligently taken care of it. The users get enough space to pass through the seats without disturbing the occupants. All these factors have made the theater very popular.

Kodama

We considered various ways to make the chairs more expressive so they could resemble autumn leaves. The stitching surpassed our expectations in expressing things. We would like to explore more possibilities for design expression in the future - especially from the viewpoint of vacant seats, as Matsumoto mentioned.

Horikawa

Just like "stage lighting", how effectively we use lighting in a hall is also very crucial. The stitching gave a different impression when I first saw the actual sample in the office, than when I saw it in the hall. I think the shading made all the difference. I found the shadows created by the stitching, and the depth of etching in the light and dark areas very interesting. I hope to focus on this and create more interesting designs in the future.

Matsumoto

The design has really has been well received by our visitors. I have never seen a chair with such a high level of perfection. It doesn't stand out oddly as we had thought it might. It is a well-blended environment where the audience can properly concentrate on the performances. Most importantly, this color scheme lifts your spirits when you step inside. I think they have thought about everything in detail.

The people-friendly theater in Japan - torchbearer of Minoh City's future

――Please tell us about your expectations for the Minoh Theater for the Performing Arts in the future, as well as your outlook for the future.

Kodama

It feels good to see that the facility has opened to many positive comments. I am eagerly looking forward to the opening of the station, the increase in the number of visitors, and the variety of performances and lectures that will be hosted here. We have created a space called the "Step Plaza" in front of the foyer of the Grand Hall, so it will be interesting to hold events there and to link the inside (of the theater) with the outside. We are looking forward to many things.

Horikawa

This hall is very particular about sound as well as design. So the concrete walls representing the rock surface of the "Minoh Great Falls," are designed with a mixture of wood ribs. After I listened to the orchestra perform several times, I thought that the rich echo of the bass sound was unique to this hall. I hope that a variety of acoustic performances will be held here and that the citizens of Minoh will have more opportunities to experience a high level of culture and art.

Matsumoto

When the railroad line eventually opens, I believe that the theater can frequently host professionals. We have promised the citizens of Minoh City to make this theater "the most people-friendly theater in Japan," and we will make every effort to live up to this promise.

――It will be great to look out for the future of the Minoh Theater for the Performing Arts, the new asset of Minoh City. Thank you very much for your time today!

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