Matsumoto City Museum Receives JSCA Award Encouragement Prize

Kume Sekkei Co., Ltd. (Head Office: 2-1-22 Shiomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo) is pleased to announce that Mr. Hiroshi Ito of our Structural Engineering Department has received the 37th JSCA Award Encouragement Prize for the "Matsumoto City Museum," designed by our company.

JSCA Award
https://jsca.or.jp/award_about/

Matsumoto City Museum
Photo: SS Tokyo

[Designer's Comment]
Matsumoto City is located almost in the center of Nagano Prefecture, a city where beautiful nature and a unique culture, boasting two national treasures (Matsumoto Castle Keep and the Former Kaichi School Building), coexist, with the Northern Alps, the "Roof of Japan," to the west and the Utsukushigahara Highlands to the east. The city has formulated the "Matsumoto Marugoto Museum Concept," aiming to make the entire city area a museum without a roof, where all things related to nature, culture, and life are considered museum materials, and all citizens act as curators. This "Maruhaku" includes 14 facilities (as of May 2026), and the museum is its core facility. The design proposal for the Matsumoto City Museum was made in 2017, and structurally, we proposed a folded plate structure for the gable roof and the adoption of precast concrete (PCaPC) members at that time.

The museum was built on the former castle grounds, in the samurai district, within the third bailey of Matsumoto Castle. The building features a gable roof with a "minokou" (a type of roof eaves) and white walls, characteristic of samurai-era architecture, but the side facing Daimyocho Street is designed to be open to the town, with a void space using glass on the exterior walls. A folded plate structure was adopted for the framework of the gable roof covering this void space and the permanent exhibition rooms on the third floor. Although called a folded plate structure, it is a "framed triangular box joint structure" where triangular steel plates are framed with FB (flat bars) and shaped steel, and these frames are joined together. The motif for the shape is the triangular pattern of "Matsumoto Temari" (a traditional Japanese embroidered ball), and the dynamic structure itself appears as the ceiling surface. By leaving the folds of the folded plate free, the edges of the 6mm steel plates give a sharp impression.

Personally, this is my first JSCA Award since receiving the "Rookie Award: Tonbo Pencil Headquarters" 17 years ago. For the company, this follows the "Work Award: Yokkaichi City General Gymnasium / Masari Kawai" in the 33rd session and the "Encouragement Prize: Kama City Hall / Mitsutoshi Fukuda" in the 34th session. We will continue to strive to have many more of our works receive awards.

[Architectural Outline]
Name: Matsumoto City Museum
Location: 3-2-21 Ote, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture
Client: Matsumoto City (Nagano Prefecture)
Architect: Kume Sekkei
Associate Architects: Ito Architectural Design Office / Nomura Co., Ltd.
Contractor: Toda, Hashiba, Matsumotodoken JV (Architecture) / Shinryo, Daiwa, Lupinus JV (Air Conditioning/Plumbing) / Kandenko, Ainet, Matsushima Electric JV (Electrical)
Total Floor Area: 7,774.86 m²
Number of Floors: 3 stories above ground
Structure: RC (PC) / S
Completion: July 2022
Awards: JSCA Award / Good Design Award / Architectural Institute of Japan Selected Works / Japan Institute of Architects Award of Excellence / Matsumoto Cityscape Award / SDA Award

[Design Concept]
A Museum in the "Machinaka" (City Center) Where Citizens and Tourists Mingle
A museum located in the national treasure Matsumoto Castle's third bailey, aiming to create a place bustling with citizens and tourists. Beyond the basic functions of exhibition, preservation, and collection, the aim was to create a friendly architecture that blends into the cityscape, evoking the memory of the land. The large roof expresses the atmosphere of the samurai era. Furthermore, in line with Matsumoto, which is blessed with abundant well water, a well water utilization air conditioning system was adopted, making the entire building a plan that utilizes the local climate. The second and third floors, which serve as preservation and exhibition spaces, are designed with a closed structure emphasizing functional certainty. In contrast, the first floor, incorporating feedback from citizen workshops, is designed as an open space prioritizing ease of access and flexible use. A landscape of contrast is created between the robust and serene space protecting the precious treasures of the citizens and the open space where the discussion-loving and active people of Matsumoto gather, connecting with the city.

Photo: SS Tokyo Photo: SS Tokyo

[Company Profile]
Kume Sekkei Co., Ltd.
"Pioneering Richness." We are a collective of diverse individuals who earnestly consider what "richness" means. We create new value with an eye toward the future, valuing regions and people.
Since our founding in 1932, we have been involved in the design of numerous cities and buildings. We are a company that pursues the fusion of technology and design, aiming to contribute to people and society. Our headquarters are located in Shiomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, and we have approximately 650 employees (about 450 qualified professionals) working on a wide range of domestic and international projects. We contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through technology and design.
URL: https://www.kumesekkei.co.jp/
Location: 2-1-22 Shiomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo
President and Representative Director: Hiroshi Inoue

[Kume Sekkei Instagram]
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