SHSH

At the heart of Hachinohe City is the location of a new proposed Museum of Art. Open to the public, it is a museum where you can get familiar with Hachinohe artists’ work. Citizens can gather, reflect and participate in the evolving culture of Hachinohe. The aim of this proposal is to provide an art museum that will further expand Hachinohe’s cultural diversity.

The proposed site is facing the main road, which stretches from the main Hachinohe station to the central urban area. The Hachinohe City Council has been developing the “City’s Field of Museums”, which is an area that comprises of a historical museum, city concert hall, cultural center, and library. Local residents, as well as those who come for sightseeing, are frequently in this area. The location of the new museum will be used as a hub for various social and creative activities supporting art and culture in the city; it will become the axis point in which connects all of the other arts and cultural establishments within the Hachinohe City’s Field of Museums.

The proposal located on a large site includes a main square and the three-storey art museum itself.

The ground floor, also known as the ‘buzz’ area, offers several functional spaces that make a sequence in the open public space. For example, the entrance is connected from the open foyer to the citizen’s gallery and the citizen’s gallery is connected to the workshop space or the view of the tsubo-niwa (a small interior courtyard), located in front of the director’s office. These spaces are divided by translucent layers, allowing openness and flexibility. There is also a cafe located on the left side of the entrance, facing the main square and is a place for many guests to relax. The main square and the cafe are surrounded by greenery which creates a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for visitors. The first floor offers multifunctional space that can be used for exhibitions, lectures, conferences, performance arts and workshops. As a visitor takes the escalator up from the ground floor, they will arrive at an open foyer. This open foyer can be used as an opening reception for exhibitions or a resting space between the temporary and permanent exhibitions. This foyer area also provides a sequence between the inside foyer and the outside terrace. The outside terrace is a multifunctional space that can be used as an outdoor gallery or a spectator’s area where one can witness seasonal festivals and events season of the main square located at the front of the building. The space on the second floor provides a quiet space specifically for work purposes. It is intended for office facilities, art directors, and researchers. Unlike the lounge on the 1st floor, the 2nd floor has a foyer space where employees, creatives, or researchers could have meetings. In our proposal, we would like to give a more experiential atmosphere, where there is plenty of space for exhibitions and open circulation. Therefore, visitors can enjoy the art in every part of the building. The aim is to create as many multi-functional open spaces within a simple design, allowing exhibition spaces to expand throughout the entire floor whenever needed.

Careful design decisions were also made in the surrounding area of the proposed museum. Since a bank is located next to the new proposed museum, it was decided that both buildings should work harmoniously together by placing greenery that would direct the flow of people and cars, providing an easily accessible family-friendly museum to the center of the city. The greenery will also guide visitors to the main square which will become a gathering spot, a hub or a location for festivals and events that will be the central point of Hachinohe City’s field of museums.

Status: Competition

Client: New Museum of Hachinohe

Place: Hachinohe, Japan

Architecture: SHSH, SHAA

Surface: 4500 m2