Arch(i)-pelago Civic Center

Building-chain: This project consists of four buidings connected inside as if it is an archipelago. Immigrants policy has been discussed to compensate decreasing working-age population in Japan. If government declared the country to be a host for immigrants, local communities would be influenced by its influx. Accordingly, architecture and urban design must react. This project is a design speculation to establish a heart of locals’ and immigrants’ communication, social activities, and lifelong education. Each four building provides a specific use of building inside: Study House, Library House, Lecture House, and Common House.

City Geoshape and Skyline

Mixed-use Development


Urban Structure :
Fukuoka is located in the southerly area of Japan, which is the nearest to East Asian countries and has one of the most extraordinary compact urban structures. In the context of these situations, Fukuoka city may have great potential to accept movement of people between Japan and East Asian countries.
Access to International Terminal of Fukuoka Airport: 5 minutes by subway from the city center.
Access to Hakata Ferry Port International Terminal: 15 minutes by bus from the city center.

Project Site :
The project site is located on the boundary among 4 sites, and they all have different characteristics. As the major function of the building is educational, this building would encourage the city to be developed as mixed-use. Watanabe-dori, where includes the project site, was known as a black market district after the W.W.II. 30 years later, the area was targeted for redevelopment in 1970 and has been randomly developed. With these historical events, the current state of this area is obsolete and loss of effient use.

Arch(i)-pelago Civic Center :
As of 2000, there are 2,538 private sectors which carry out international exchange activities. Most of their activities are conducted in an hourly rental room, and this makes those events difficult to be found out in the city unless you know where it is happening. This project intends to establish a dedicated building for international exchange in the area.

Project Info

Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Type: Design Study (Education and Civic Center)
Year: 2017
Design Principal: Kenji Hada
- Special Prize, Japan Instetute of Architecture Kagoshima
- Bronze Prize, Kagoshima University