The project is a fitness and recreation facility designed to promote the health and vitality of the local community. It is located in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, the same Kanto region as Tokyo.
The main theme of the building is a place for healing and relaxation open to the community that supports health promotion, and it functions as a "place for multi-generational interaction where people gather. The exterior of the building was designed to harmonize with the surrounding natural environment.
The site is in the eastern hills away from the center of Mito City. As a result of searching for the spread foundation located near the bedrock, a strap-like shape emerged.
We built a slanting roof over the facility, giving it a Japanese-style look and feel. The eaves were set at a fixed height and the interior ceiling was made to feel continuous through the soffit to create a Japanese visual connection between the interior and the exterior space through the edges of the eaves. The roof runs from a straight line through a cone-shaped part and stretches out in various directions. Then, the bent triangular roof surface connects to the straight roof with different depths and slopes.
Considering the needs of people with limited mobility and families with elderly and children, a portion of the building extends into the parking lot as a porch for shelter from the wind and rain, with a parking area underneath and a one-way system throughout the lot to ensure safe driving.
The bright and open interior space is connected to the exterior lawn through the glass walls. Continuous winding corridors and floor-to-ceiling corner windows allow users to immerse themselves in unobstructed panoramic views.
By concentrating the main use space on the first floor and placing the frequently used fitness, swimming, bathing, and changing rooms in the center, the distance to each area has been shortened, thus greatly improving the visitor's experience. The building is also barrier-free so that the elderly and children can have a relaxing and safe time here.
It is also a "healing space" for many visitors. After a sweaty workout at the gym or pool, you can not only take a shower but also stretch your body and relieve fatigue in the open-air baths and saunas.
The facility also includes a lounge space adjacent to the atrium with a table and chair lounge area and tatami space, a conference room that can be divided into two rooms with a capacity of approximately 40 to 50 people, a management room, and a staff lounge.
Even in an earthquake, the hybrid structure will minimize deformation to maintain the safety of the main structure. The solar panels on the roof will provide temporary energy for residents who come to the building in an emergency. The planned lifetime of the structure is set at 100 years.
