Iwakuni City, Kuroiso Town Welcomes "Exchange Terrace for Rest and Learning," a Hub for Connection Through Relaxation and Education, Opening April 19, 2026!

Mitsui Jun & Associates Architects Inc. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as JMA) announces that the public complex facility "Exchange Terrace for Rest and Learning," for which JMA was responsible for the overall design and construction supervision, opened on April 19, 2026, in Kuroiso Town, Iwakuni City.

Architecture and exterior landscaping are integrated, gently connecting nature and human activities.

● Key points shaping this facility

* Arrangement plan incorporating the movement of the sun, along the sunrise axis (east-west axis) of the spring and autumn equinoxes.
* Creation of a space where visitors can enjoy the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea.
* External spaces incorporating diverse features and play equipment, enjoyable for all generations.
* Terraced spatial composition responding to the topography.

This facility is a complex integrating the functions of a science center and a welfare center, planned with an expansive form against the backdrop of the magnificent natural environment of approximately 10 hectares overlooking the Seto Inland Sea.

The Science Center is equipped with exhibits where visitors can experience the joy of science and spaces for science shows, as well as laboratories and workshops, enhancing its function as a place of learning. The Welfare Center features a hall capable of accommodating up to 500 people, which can also be used for sports, events, and as a theater, along with various large and small rooms to accommodate diverse activities, catering to a wide range of citizens' uses. Outside the building, a natural observation pond, an observation deck, scientific play equipment, and inclusive play equipment have been developed, creating an environment where children and adults alike can enjoy their time.

The facility is structured along the east-west axis, which is the direction of the sunrise during the spring and autumn equinoxes.

The planned site is located in a rich natural environment surrounded by the Seto Inland Sea and mountains, a place where one can view the sunrise throughout the year. These natural conditions were the starting point for the architectural plan.
A glass atrium is placed in the center of the building, arranged along the east-west axis, which is the direction of the sunrise during the spring and autumn equinoxes, serving as the spatial core connecting the sea and mountains. Furthermore, the building's shape opens widely towards the sea, incorporating the movement of the sun, reflecting the unique characteristics of light and orientation of this land throughout the architecture. An observation deck is provided along the atrium's axis, forming a composition that allows for an integrated feeling of the surrounding landscape.

Terraced composition that blends with the elevation differences of the terrain. A three-dimensional space with continuous slopes and stairs (image perspective).

Hands-on science exhibits where children and adults can learn while having fun. A science library where visitors can enjoy books and encyclopedias related to science.

Outdoor exhibit "Follow the Animal Footprints" where you can learn about how animals walk. Various engaging features spread both inside and outside.

● Various ingenious ideas incorporated into the details

Deck space offering a panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea. Illustrations of mountains are placed at children's eye level. Illustrations drawn by JMA designers are displayed, adding a gentle splash of color to the space.

● Messages from the persons in charge

"A device that creates vibrancy by weaving through the topography"

The building is constructed to conform to a site with a maximum elevation difference of about 20 meters. With the central gallery, which opens towards the sea, as its central axis, it is largely composed of five levels. Being a large building horizontally, four courtyards are arranged to bring in light, and they are connected by a large, winding slope around the central gallery. Due to the nature of the building as a science center and welfare facility, a mechanism was created to bring together and energize small children to the elderly. While observing the site, I imagined children running around.

Kazuaki Iwata (Architectural Design)

"An exchange facility for rest and learning, open to the sea and mountains"

In this place, open to the Seto Inland Sea and magnificent mountains, we planned architecture and civil engineering as one, aiming to create a space that leverages the topography. As a facility integrating a science center and a welfare center, we considered it a place where children could joyfully experience science and the earth through the entire architecture, and at the same time, a comfortable gathering place for multiple generations. From this perspective, we incorporated the light, orientation, and natural environmental characteristics of this land into the architecture.

Iwao Tojo (Architectural Design)

"Experience of Topography"

A major feature of the planned site is the view of the Seto Inland Sea. My first impression when I saw the site was that I wanted to create a large field where one could overlook the calm sea and the floating islands. Also, in the valley formed by the earthen embankment on the mountain side for the removal of the yellow zone, we aimed for a highly natural landscape, and with the person in charge of the science center, we carefully considered the setup of the natural observation pond and the types of trees to plant. We hope that visitors to the facility will enjoy the views created by the topography and the natural exchange facility in the valley.

Ken Matsumoto (Landscape)

● Past initiatives of JMA West Japan / Iwakuni Office

* Iwakuni Station Area Grand Design (2020)
* Iwakuni Station Front Bus Shelter (2020)
* Iwakuni Kurasu Logo Design (2021)
* Plat ABC (2022)
* Iwakuni Kurasu Team