Tokyo, Japan
The aim of the project was for Coelacanth K&H Architects to redesign the former Takinogawa 7th Elementary School site to a junior high school, as part of the Kita City school restructuring plan.
The design of Tabata Junior High school was short-listed for a 2021 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The site is a district in which the faint atmosphere of a novelist village called Tabata-Bunshimura from the Taisho period to the war period.
The north side with a large retaining wall formed from the topography is a valuable open space in this area adjacent to a temple.
A gymnasium, swimming pool, 12 ordinary classrooms, and disaster prevention base functions were required on a narrow site of about 7,200㎡ surrounded by houses.
It was planned as a compact, and three-dimensional junior high school consists of 8 story school building and 2 story gymnasium.
A swimming pool and playground are located on each building’s rooftop.
The ground of the modified artificial turf blends in with adjacent open space and temple: thus, it creates a local atmosphere leaving a memory of the city.
The school site adjacent to the road is open to the public and a part adjacent to the intersection is connected to the forest at the corner of the street to create the appearance of the time.
The first floor of the gymnasium building is open public as a local facility, and a gymnasium is located on the second floor. It is also possible to use only the gymnasium.
Students enter the school building from the platform on the second floor. Each grade is located on each floor from third to fifth floor.
Sixth and seventh floors consist of special classrooms.
Students mainly take stairs to move around, and in the sense of reinforcing the community and relationship between the upper and lower floors, a gentle sloped X-shaped staircase is planned in the center of the building with two entrances and exits connecting the open space.
Stairs are not only a simple passage but also a space for meeting and exchange. From the fifth floor, students can access the playground located on top of the gym.
The high-rise school building is designed with a precast prestressed concrete structure to ensure high durability and construction precision while reducing construction noise as the site is adjacent to the residential area.
The exterior of this high-precision and high-quality structure is a local educational facility that harmonizes with the local landscape; therefore, the school becomes the landmark of the new area.
Project: Tabata Junior High School
Designer Architecture: Coelacanth K&H Architects
Structure: KAP
Electrical: Setsubikeikaku
Mechanical: Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Setubikeikaku
Lighting: Tsuki Lighting Office
Landscape: GA Yamazaki
