This is a multipurpose complex built in Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture as part of a reconstruction project in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The goal was to regain the lost liveliness of the city and regenerate citizen interaction by creating an activity base with multiple functions including a library offering a lifelong learning program, childcare support, museum among others in the center of the city that was severely damaged by the earthquake. 

Floor slabs were divided into small sections, stacked to form an incremental setback on the site facing a historic main street, while much attention was paid not to distract the neighboring houses.  Many terraces resulted from the floor setbacks provide places where people can engage in various activities while overlooking the city, and the void created on the inside connects each floor sectionally and visually. The first floor, which serves as the main entrance to the facility, is a sloped space connecting the 2.5-meter difference in elevation of the site, where a waiting area, cafe, and event space are provided in the open atmosphere seamlessly connected with the hilly city of Sukagawa. 

Through a series of citizen workshops, we aimed to create an organic architecture transcending functional boundaries. We created various spaces for people to stay, including a bright socializing space, quiet reading corner, three-dimensional play space, space under the eaves like engawa (a wooden veranda along the edges of a traditional Japanese dwelling) among others, and placed books throughout the facility.  The upper floors are connected by gentle slopes and stairs, and you can walk around the entire building as if taking a walk around the city.