Chabohiba hall is deeply rooted in the community of Saiwaicho neighborhood in western Tokyo: it is conceived for concerts, exhibitions and any cultural activity involving the local society.
Its spatial configuration revolves around a powerful fulcrum: an old pine tree in the middle of the site has been preserved as a living memory of the local history. The auditorium is designed to host one hundred people and to foster the highest appreciation of the musical performance; the space can be freed entirely by opening the rotating wooden panels that separate it from the foyer, thus enhancing an unobstructed view towards the garden and the pine tree.
To tighten the relationship of the building to its land, every pre-existing element has been reused within the project, such as the water filling the outdoor basin and the rocks that now shape a pacific rock garden along the concert hall.
Photo credit: Satoshi Shigeta