Kawasaki City Hall Main Building Wins the 37th IEEJ Facility Award in the Technical Category

Kume Sekkei Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 2-1-22 Shiomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo) is pleased to announce that the 'Kawasaki City Hall Main Building,' designed by the company, has received the 37th IEEJ Facility Award in the Technical Category.

IEEJ Award

https://www.ieiej.or.jp/activity/award/

Electrical Systems of Kawasaki City Hall Main Building

Photo: SS Kikaku

[Designer's Comment]

We are deeply honored to receive the prestigious 37th IEEJ Facility Award in the Technical Category.

This project is an advanced initiative aimed at realizing a next-generation urban municipal building, with key themes of 'disaster prevention,' 'energy efficiency,' 'ICT/IoT utilization,' and 'citizen engagement.'

In terms of environmental performance, diverse energy-saving technologies were introduced to achieve carbon neutrality, resulting in significant energy reduction compared to the previous building. This demonstrates a model for reducing environmental impact in urban government buildings.

For disaster resilience, the design anticipates compound disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires, volcanic ashfall, and power outages, ensuring high resilience to maintain building functions over extended periods. As a result, the facility can continue providing essential citizen services even during disasters.

Furthermore, the integration of ICT and IoT technologies has improved the efficiency of meeting room reservations, information dissemination, and business operations, contributing to work-style reforms and enhanced productivity. Additionally, initiatives such as public information sharing, preservation of history and culture, restoration of heritage structures, and lighting displays have strengthened community engagement and revitalized urban vibrancy.

Through these efforts, the Kawasaki City Hall Main Building has become an advanced model of an urban government facility that contributes to sustainable, safe, and comfortable city development. We hope this project will serve as a reference for future public building projects and express our deepest gratitude to all stakeholders involved in planning, design, construction, and operation.

Award Ceremony

[Project Overview]

Name: Kawasaki City Hall Main Building

Location: 1 Miyamoto-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Client: City of Kawasaki

Designer: Kume Sekkei Co., Ltd.

Contractors:

[High-Rise Building]

Architecture: Taisei Corporation, Yokohama Branch

Electrical Systems: Electrical JV (Kanden Kogyo, Kyowa, Keikyu Denki - Joint Venture)

HVAC Systems: HVAC JV (Shinryou, Kawamoto, Meiwakogyo - Joint Venture)

Plumbing Systems: Plumbing JV (Taisei On, Suga, Keikyu - Joint Venture)

Elevator Systems: Toshiba Elevator Corporation

Assembly Hall AV Systems: Marui Densetsu Co., Ltd.

[Restoration Building]

Architecture: Ogawa Gumi Co., Ltd.

Electrical Systems: Kyo-sei Denki Co., Ltd.

HVAC Systems: Meiwakogyo Co., Ltd.

Plumbing Systems: Toto Netsu Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Photovoltaic Systems: Sumitomo Denki Co., Ltd.

Gross Floor Area: 62,356㎡

Floors: 25 above ground, 2 underground

Structure: Steel / Partial RC / SRC

Completion: June 2023

Awards: IEEJ Award / Architectural Institute of Japan Technical Award / Cogeneration Grand Prize / CFT Structural Award / SDA Award / Prestressed Concrete Institute Award / Lighting Facility Award

[Design Concept]

An Urban Disaster-Resilient Hall Combining 'Vibrancy × Environment × Disaster Prevention'

The site is the former location of the old main city hall, which has long been a beloved icon on City Hall Street since 1938 (Showa 13), and is also part of an urban area where commercial and dining vibrancy extends continuously from Kawasaki Station. While preserving the historical value of the old hall, an atrium—a three-dimensional, open urban space in a semi-external area—was placed between the restored building, which replicates the old hall, and the high-rise building, contributing to urban vibrancy. The design also incorporates a mid-story seismic isolation structure to withstand flooding from the Tama River and ceiling-free office spaces to prevent ceiling collapse during earthquakes, preparing for all types of urban disasters. Additionally, by utilizing the inner side of the outer wall—made of precast concrete panels in a 'C' shape—as a ventilation void (Eco Multi-Wall natural ventilation system) and deepening window reveals to thoroughly suppress solar radiation, the building achieves ZEB Ready (BEI=0.47). This project realizes the ideal form of a new urban disaster-resilient hall that connects urban vibrancy and features excellent 'environmental' performance and 'disaster prevention' capabilities within the cityscape.

[Design Story]

Architecture Integrating Disaster Resilience and Environmental Performance

https://www.kumesekkei.co.jp/designstory/kawasaki_city_hall.html

Photo: SS Kikaku

[Company Overview]

Kume Sekkei Co., Ltd.

Pioneering 'prosperity.' We are a collective of diverse individuals seriously exploring the meaning of 'prosperity.' We value communities and people, creating new values for the future.

Since its founding in 1932, the company has undertaken numerous urban and architectural design projects. As a firm committed to integrating technology and design, we aim to contribute to society and humanity. Headquartered in Shiomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, we employ approximately 650 staff, including around 450 qualified specialists, and are involved in a wide range of domestic and international projects. We will continue to contribute to a sustainable society through technology and design.

URL: https://www.kumesekkei.co.jp/

Headquarters: 2-1-22 Shiomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo

President and Director: Hiroshi Inoue

[Kume Sekkei Instagram]

https://www.instagram.com/kumesekkei/