Bronze Award / by NRC Architecture & Design Office
Aqua Mid Tower Grand
Company Name:
NRC Architecture & Design Office
Project Designers:
Hajime Tsuruta
Project Location:
Japan
Pachinko halls (traditional Japanese gaming facilities) used to be a popular pastime in Japan. However, in the last few decades
pachinko has fallen out of fashion, with declining revenues causing many gaming halls to shut down. The neighborhood in
which our project is located was one of the few areas of the city center that survived the WWII air raids. Many of its traditional
wooden houses and shops remain intact. However, in recent years the demands of modern safety standards have made
redevelopment in the area necessary.
This project, designed to modernize the facility, includes a residential area, a restaurant sector, and a pachinko hall. Potential buyers for residential space in the building were somewhat bewildered by the idea of sharing space with a pachinko hall.
In order to make pachinko hall more attractive to them, we redesigned the area from the ground up. Our gaming interior space combines Bonsai planters and benches to bring a touch of natural beauty to the indoor environment, allowing people to play pachinko in comfort. We hope that the combination of traditional Japanese arts with retro gaming will revitalize the pachinko hall's potential as a neighborhood hangout and community center.
-----