Chuo City Local History Museum

A combined exhibition space with a library will convey the charm of Chuo City 's history and culture to future generations

  • Cultural Spaces
  • A visual space where the history of Chuo City is engraved through illustrations and stories.

    A visual space where the history of Chuo City is engraved through illustrations and stories.

  • From actual materials to floor-covering maps and Digital Contents, exhibition elements are incorporated into the visual design to create a dynamic display.*

  • You can actually pick up and read the exhibition booklets and related books created in accordance with the exhibition theme.

    You can actually pick up and read the exhibition booklets and related books created in accordance with the exhibition theme.

  • The nine connected monitors offer a panoramic view of a 12m-long picture scroll depicting Nihonbashi in the Edo period, and visitors can access information by touching the screen.*

    The nine connected monitors offer a panoramic view of a 12m-long picture scroll depicting Nihonbashi in the Edo period, and visitors can access information by touching the screen.*

  • The vivid colors will attract the attention of junior and senior high school students who use the library, as well as the younger generation who will support the local community in the future.*

    The vivid colors will attract the attention of junior and senior high school students who use the library, as well as the younger generation who will support the local community in the future.*

  • By combining it with books, the design actively incorporates a style that will appeal to visitors who have had little connection with the library up until now.

    By combining it with books, the design actively incorporates a style that will appeal to visitors who have had little connection with the library up until now.

  • The rod-shaped parts that make up the "book" can be transformed into letters and symbols, and can also function as signs.*

    The rod-shaped parts that make up the "book" can be transformed into letters and symbols, and can also function as signs.*

  • In the highly updateable section, the rod-shaped line parts and explanatory sheets can be moved and replaced, allowing for flexible changes in exhibits.

    In the highly updateable section, the rod-shaped line parts and explanatory sheets can be moved and replaced, allowing for flexible changes in exhibits.

  • The flyers and leaflets also follow the image of the museum, which resembles a "bookshelf," enhancing the visual impact of the museum as a new local history museum.

    The flyers and leaflets also follow the image of the museum, which resembles a "bookshelf," enhancing the visual impact of the museum as a new local history museum.

  • Chuo City Local History Museum
  • You can actually pick up and read the exhibition booklets and related books created in accordance with the exhibition theme.
  • The nine connected monitors offer a panoramic view of a 12m-long picture scroll depicting Nihonbashi in the Edo period, and visitors can access information by touching the screen.*
  • The vivid colors will attract the attention of junior and senior high school students who use the library, as well as the younger generation who will support the local community in the future.*
  • By combining it with books, the design actively incorporates a style that will appeal to visitors who have had little connection with the library up until now.
  • The rod-shaped parts that make up the "book" can be transformed into letters and symbols, and can also function as signs.*
  • In the highly updateable section, the rod-shaped line parts and explanatory sheets can be moved and replaced, allowing for flexible changes in exhibits.
  • The flyers and leaflets also follow the image of the museum, which resembles a "bookshelf," enhancing the visual impact of the museum as a new local history museum.

Photography: Taira Kurihara, PIPS inc. *

About the Project

Overview This new local history museum is attached to "Book Forest Chuo," a complex centered around a library. Each figure, reminiscent of a book spine, graphically displays information such as the history of Chuo City using easy-to-understand illustrations. Video and exhibition of the stored materials also make use of the theme of books, and the entire wall is expressed as a bookshelf, so that the viewer is completely enveloped in the charm of Chuo City. In addition, the rod-shaped parts that represent "books" are transformed into letters and symbols, functioning as signs. The design has a unified feel throughout the building.
Issues/Themes The goal is to create a "new local history museum combined with a library" that will allow visitors who come to use the library and the younger generation who have not used the library frequently until now to encounter the richness and charm of Chuo City 's history and culture, and pique their interest.
Space Solution/Realization Taking advantage of the facility's location next to a library, we brought the act of "reading a book" directly into the exhibition experience, planning a space where graphics, actual materials, and interactive Digital Contents would be "shelved" in the exhibition room, displayed on the walls resembling bookshelves. We pursued a new way of creating a local history museum, attracting the interest of new visitors with a visual impact that changes the conventional image of a local history museum, and inviting them to view books and other materials in the local reference room.

Basic Information

Client Chuo City
Services Provided Display Planning, Design, Layout, Production, Construction, Video Production
Our Team Exhibition Direction: Tsuyoshi Kato
Display Planning: Nishizono Kiyoko, Tansei Research Institute
Design, Layout: Takahiro Ishikawa, Saeko Morikita
Production, Construction: Katsumi Kato, Kazuma Takahashi
Video: Tatsuro Shiota, Tansei Research Institute
Project Management: Akira Tanuma, Kazuki Sugiyama, Yurie Nakao, Kohei Miyake
Awards "KUKAN DESIGN AWARD 2023" Bronze Award
57th Japan Sign Design Awards Grand Prize and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award
Location Tokyo, Japan
Open December 2022
Tag
KATO Tsuyoshi

Exhibition Direction

KATO Tsuyoshi

After working in promotion and commercial facility design, he is now mainly involved in Design Direction for culture and communication spaces. He values "the story behind it," "surprises in hospitality," and "the tactile sensation of the space," and strives to create facilities that "make the lives of those who visit just a little bit richer."

Main Achievements

*The shared information and details of the project is accurate as of the date they were posted. There may have been unannounced changes at a later date.