Regeneration of Oita Bank Red Brick Building
Back to Projects list- Location
- Oita city, Oita, Japan
- Year
- 2017
"Kingo TATSUNO Architecture" to "Creative Hub"
"Oita Bank Red Brick Building" is an important cultural property in the history of modern architecture in Japan, and is a valuable building that proves the modern history of Oita Prefecture. Many efforts have been made so far to preserve and utilize it, and it has been passed down as the pride of the citizens of Oita. The client, Oita Bank, hoped that this building, which is a registered tangible cultural property and its own asset, would be used as a creative hub for innovation by combining local resources and creative activities. We received this request and worked on the design of the renovation. In reusing this historic building, we aimed to connect the pride of the citizens of Oita to the future. Terefore, we designed a space where you can experience the history that has been accumulated so far, and still feel modernity and familiarity.
Designing a space that creates a sense of feeling history
This architecture is a symbol with a legitimate appearance as a historical cultural property in the center of Oita. However, the interior was made according to the functions required by each era, so it did not give a sense of history. In this regeneration, we aimed to design a space where visitors can feel the accumulated time of the architecture the moment they come in. Specifically, the ceiling was removed as much as possible so that the original size of the space could be experienced, and the decorative beams on the ceiling made by the postwar renovation were exposed.
In addition, we made brick wall visible of constructed in 1918. For that, the boards, light irons, plaster mortar, etc. that covered the bricks were removed, and the surface of the bricks as the original structure was exposed. The RC structure at the time of renovation after the war is also exposed. The floor is made of brick walls and materials that enhance the quality of the space and give a sense of modernity. We decided to design the entire space with the "subtraction idea" so that we could feel the space as it is without adding new things as much as possible.