This is a planning for a concert hall in Harima Science Garden City, an ongoing city project organized by the Hyogo Prefecture government. Considering the newly developed environment of the site this concert hall is planned as a unique music hall featuring contemporary music.
The land shapes of the site is a quarter of a circle declining towards the crossing at the center. In this shallow conic site the closed rectangular parallelepiped, or the concert hall accommodating 500 people, is buried halfway into the ground. The elliptical glass shelter surrounds the hall. The hall is a typical end-stage configuration, but one-third of the seating at front can be removed and the floor can be raised to level with the stage to create a larger stage to correspond to various performances. In terms of acoustics the reverberation time can be regulated by mechanical/ engineering devices. The glass-sheltered atrium above the hall can be adjusted by operable roofs, according to condition of climate, temperature and humidity. The atrium is open for public so that people can enjoy the view and dynamic interior space. It can also be used as the second concert hall for pre-concert events.
Right before the construction started, the Hanshin Earthquake occurred. This project has been suspended since then.