Checker

｜DATA

• Design: Hirotaka Sato, Shintaro Takeda
• Site: Ekimae Honcho, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
• Use: Commercial facility
• Structure: Reinforced concrete construction, partly steel construction, 6 floors above ground, 1 floor below ground
• Site area: 788.56m2
• Building area: 724.38m2
• Total floor area: 5001.68m2
• Structure: Obayashi Corporation
• Completion: 2012.07
• Construction: Obayashi Corporation
• Photo: Hirotaka Sato

｜CONCEPT

Seismic reinforcement and renovation of interior and exterior of a commercial building adjacent to Kawasaki Station.
The commercial building, which was completed in 1961 and had been expanded and remodeled eight times since it was a two-story building, now has six stories. At the same time, the interior and exterior were completely renewed, renewing the image of the building.
As a seismic retrofitting method, seismic walls are added.
Placing the quake-resistant walls in a checkered pattern is the most efficient, and the façade facing the street was designed to make the most of the quake-resistant walls arranged in a checkered pattern.
The three-dimensional appearance of the aluminum exterior (only the shades of color on the sides) and the rhythmical arrangement of the glass openings create the uniqueness of this building.
Despite the constraints of the renovation, attention was paid to the details where the aluminum panels and the glass meet at one point, creating a sharp appearance.