“Kurashiki City Office Main Building” as a Work of Architecture ～ Kurashiki’s Symbol, Filled with Thoughtful Details in Its Tall Tower and Civic Hall (Kurashiki Architecture Journey Vol. 4) - Page 2 of 2

Interview with the staff member responsible for building management in Kurashiki City’s General Affairs Division

We spoke with Tatsuya Henmi and Masatoshi Mino, who manage Kurashiki City Hall as the staff members responsible for building management in the General Affairs Division.

About building management work

Could you tell us about your building management work?

Henmi (titles omitted)

Broadly speaking, there are two main responsibilities.

The first is managing the meeting rooms in the building.
The meeting rooms are used for a variety of purposes, including meetings, training sessions, and seminars. We manage the schedules, including which departments use which rooms and when.

The second is managing lost property in the building.
When an item is turned in, we make an announcement over the building’s public address system, or, if no one comes to claim it, we hand it over to the police.

Mino (titles omitted)

My work is more along the lines of facilities management. I make sure the building’s air-conditioning and ventilation systems are functioning properly.

Since taking on this work, you may have had the chance to visit areas that you wouldn’t normally see as an ordinary resident. Has anything surprised you?

Henmi

I’d say the “Citizens’ Hall.”

It’s on the first floor, but it isn’t open to the public. It’s used for special occasions such as ceremonies. I don’t think I would have been able to go inside if it weren’t for this job.

Mino

The “Citizens’ Hall” surprised me too, but another place is the “Assembly Chamber.”

I first went in after joining this department. I was impressed not only by the attention to detail in the interior, but also by the thoughtful design of the facilities.

I imagine you can’t use the Citizens’ Hall just by asking, “Could we use it?” Are there any rules?

Henmi

Since it isn’t a meeting room, we have established “conditions for using the Citizens’ Hall.”

For example, it can be used for special ceremonies attended by the mayor.

Because it serves a different purpose from ordinary meeting rooms, it is rarely used. It is treated as a “special place.”

Kurashiki City Hall’s Main Building was completed more than 40 years ago. Are there any issues, including aging?

Mino

The air-conditioning system is an issue.

When it was built in 1980, it incorporated state-of-the-art technology. It used a so-called central system with features such as a “thermal storage tank,” and even received an award for its energy-saving equipment.

But now we’re living through the COVID-19 pandemic. The system has many limitations, particularly when it comes to ventilation, and figuring out how to renovate it to meet today’s needs is a challenge.

A thermal storage tank is a large tank, like a swimming pool. It uses inexpensive electricity at night to heat or chill water, which is then used to improve energy efficiency.

Another issue is what’s commonly called “barrier-free access.”
We need to make areas that were considered adequate at the time barrier-free to meet today’s standards.

In 2022, we also changed the layout of the general information desk. I feel that we need to keep adapting things one by one to meet the needs of the times.

What we want residents to know about Kurashiki City Office’s Main Building

Finally, is there anything you’d like to tell residents about the Kurashiki City Hall building—anything you’d like them to know or take a look at?

Henmi

I’ve been working for Kurashiki City for about three years now, and I think the Kurashiki City Hall building itself is a “landmark.”

It certainly has a distinctive appearance, and I’d be happy if people felt proud of that.

Mino

As for the exterior, even when carrying out seismic reinforcement work, we take care to preserve its appearance while respecting the design and making the improvements needed for the present day.

Seismic reinforcement work carried out with consideration for the design

“When you see this building, you think of Kurashiki City.”

I think of it as a landmark that inspires that feeling, so it makes me happy, as someone responsible for its upkeep, when people feel attached to it.

From the Writer

That city hall was built because Kurashiki City was wealthy at the time.

I remember hearing that from my mother several times when I was a child.

I got the impression that she viewed it somewhat negatively, but the building was completed around the same time I was born, in 1979.

In other words, it has been Kurashiki City Hall for as long as I can remember. I didn’t have a negative impression of it, but, conversely, I didn’t have a positive one either.

I’ve lived in several places outside Kurashiki City, but none of their city halls left an impression on me. In that sense, I only realized that Kurashiki City Office’s Main Building was something special when I went outside the prefecture.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made me realize that, with advances in information and communications technology, we’ve entered an era when we can work from home without feeling a sense of belonging to a particular region or community.

“A reason to choose to live there.”

When I think about that, having a city hall that serves as a symbol may be one of Kurashiki’s strengths.

I felt that Kurashiki City Hall’s Main Building, completed 40 years ago, may have that kind of appeal.

With thanks to