Memory of the City

The city of Ito became prosperous as a hot spring town, and the city grew as a place for the amusement of tourists. The shopping mall is not as lively as it once was. In the past there were more than three movie theaters, but all are now closed, and for the young, the city has lost its charm.

The building is located on the site of a former movie theater which had been destroyed by a fire, facing the end of a shopping arcade. It is a mixed use building, housing three generations of the same family, and incorporating some commercial space. The grandmother’s apartment was located on the top floor with her son’s family on the two floors below.

Each apartment has its own entrance. I designed a duplex condominium for the young family aimed at creating a three-dimensional familial relationship.

The lower two floors contain shops which face a semi-public plaza. To revive memories of the old movie theater dear to the family, I attached a perforated aluminum screen to the front of the building so that video images can be projected during local events and festivals. Adding this high-tech element to the building creates a landmark at the entrance to the shopping mall.