Takatsuki Arts Theatre Wins Architectural Institute of Japan Prize 2025
Akira Ito [aifoto]
The Nikken Sekkei-designed Takatsuki Arts Theatre has been selected for the Architectural Institute of Japan’s AIJ Prize 2025 for in the architectural design category. In addition to expressing gratitude to everyone involved in this great honor, we commit to making further efforts to create more attractive works in the future.
<recipients>
Satoshi Ezoe, Shigeru Taki, Kiyoshi Takahata
<recipients>
Satoshi Ezoe, Shigeru Taki, Kiyoshi Takahata
<critique>
Architecture aims to realize a superior space by integrating various technologies. Public facilities are required to contribute to the betterment of society and environment in a broad range of areas, while accepting contemporariness and not limiting itself to specific clients or conditions. Takatsuki Arts Theatre achieved a high level of architectural comprehensiveness in its design, planning, environment, materials, and structure, and can be evaluated as a prominent work that has carried out new experiments and challenges appropriate for the AIJ Prize. The following are some of the important points.
First, the Theatre is a wide-open public building, The 1st floor level was raised slightly to make the basement level more accessible, and overall height was reduced through a creative cross-sectional configuration. The volume is divided into small and large “boxes.” Scattered around the courtyard. they make the building appear less intimidating and also integrate it with the park, with a number of entrances and exits placed here and there. The foyer, studio, café, and other spaces are almost entirely made of glass, creating a sense of transparency. The small hall also has openings on both sides that allow visitors to feel the natural surroundings. The hall is open to the public except during performances; residents, children, and students from the two neighboring schools often visit the facility.
Second, under the concept of “Takatsuki-no-mori” (Takatsuki Forest), the museum endeavors to trying to make extensive use of wood. This in itself is a recent trend, but further possibilities were pursued with this project. The annual production volume of materials was confirmed with the forestry cooperative in Osaka Prefecture, upon which it was determined that approximately 350 cubic meters of wood would be used. Timber cut from logs was allocated to the exterior, interior, and small halls, taking into account the characteristics of each area and managing them with BIM technology.
The wooden louvers were impregnated with liquid glass on the exterior and arranged in a randomly shifting pattern to create subtle differences in shading. Their orderly arrangement in the foyer evokes the vertical latticework of a castle town, affording it various expressions. In the main hall, in particular, a unique and rich sound space was realized by using wooden core material and covering the walls and ceiling with some 27,000 wooden cubes in a pixel-like arrangement. Wood is also used in information boards and fixtures.
Third, the design and details, while not overly aggressive, are supported by solid engineering. For example, the entrance, which is a corner of the large roof, and the foyer, with its cantilevered truss beams and thin columns, provide a sense of openness that connects the building to the park. The wooden louvers and cubes in the large and small halls were designed and constructed with the help of acoustic simulation, test specimens, mock-ups, and other studies.
The AIJ Prize was thus presented to Nikken Sekkei, in recognition of the above merits.
< Architectural Institute of Japan Awards >
Established in 1943, the Architectural Institute of Japan Awards recognizes outstanding achievements in architectural papers, works, techniques, and accomplishments, in order to promote the progress and development of the science, technology and architectural art to further architectural culture in Japan, and to contribute to the public welfare. Awards are presented annually to those who have made outstanding achievements in architectural theses, works, techniques, and accomplishments.
Architecture aims to realize a superior space by integrating various technologies. Public facilities are required to contribute to the betterment of society and environment in a broad range of areas, while accepting contemporariness and not limiting itself to specific clients or conditions. Takatsuki Arts Theatre achieved a high level of architectural comprehensiveness in its design, planning, environment, materials, and structure, and can be evaluated as a prominent work that has carried out new experiments and challenges appropriate for the AIJ Prize. The following are some of the important points.
First, the Theatre is a wide-open public building, The 1st floor level was raised slightly to make the basement level more accessible, and overall height was reduced through a creative cross-sectional configuration. The volume is divided into small and large “boxes.” Scattered around the courtyard. they make the building appear less intimidating and also integrate it with the park, with a number of entrances and exits placed here and there. The foyer, studio, café, and other spaces are almost entirely made of glass, creating a sense of transparency. The small hall also has openings on both sides that allow visitors to feel the natural surroundings. The hall is open to the public except during performances; residents, children, and students from the two neighboring schools often visit the facility.
Second, under the concept of “Takatsuki-no-mori” (Takatsuki Forest), the museum endeavors to trying to make extensive use of wood. This in itself is a recent trend, but further possibilities were pursued with this project. The annual production volume of materials was confirmed with the forestry cooperative in Osaka Prefecture, upon which it was determined that approximately 350 cubic meters of wood would be used. Timber cut from logs was allocated to the exterior, interior, and small halls, taking into account the characteristics of each area and managing them with BIM technology.
The wooden louvers were impregnated with liquid glass on the exterior and arranged in a randomly shifting pattern to create subtle differences in shading. Their orderly arrangement in the foyer evokes the vertical latticework of a castle town, affording it various expressions. In the main hall, in particular, a unique and rich sound space was realized by using wooden core material and covering the walls and ceiling with some 27,000 wooden cubes in a pixel-like arrangement. Wood is also used in information boards and fixtures.
Third, the design and details, while not overly aggressive, are supported by solid engineering. For example, the entrance, which is a corner of the large roof, and the foyer, with its cantilevered truss beams and thin columns, provide a sense of openness that connects the building to the park. The wooden louvers and cubes in the large and small halls were designed and constructed with the help of acoustic simulation, test specimens, mock-ups, and other studies.
The AIJ Prize was thus presented to Nikken Sekkei, in recognition of the above merits.
< Architectural Institute of Japan Awards >
Established in 1943, the Architectural Institute of Japan Awards recognizes outstanding achievements in architectural papers, works, techniques, and accomplishments, in order to promote the progress and development of the science, technology and architectural art to further architectural culture in Japan, and to contribute to the public welfare. Awards are presented annually to those who have made outstanding achievements in architectural theses, works, techniques, and accomplishments.