The project was aimed to renovate the old Tochigi Prefectural Hall designed by Masato Otaka in 1969 and demolished in 2007. The old structures reflected Oatka’s idea of having traditional Japanese form with modern prefabricated concrete and were preserved intactly in the new building as a “heavy void.” We doubled the volume of the pour-in-place part of Otaka and made the solid volume light so that it becomes a ring surrounding the “heavy void” and floating above the site. The old prefectural hall was used to hold administrative offices and a conference hall. The new civic center is not only a market, but an urban connector, a cultural destination, and a gathering place for local people and visitors alike.
