Tsuruoka Machinaka Kinema: A Movie Base That Cheers Up the Town

A Film Theater converted from an old silk factory in Tsuruoka city

Revitalization project in downtown Tsuruoka

Tsuruoka Cinema Complex is the revitalization project in downtown Tsuruoka. Tsuruoka is a small castle town located in the northern part ofJapan. Tsuruoka Community Development Company, a social enterprise established to invest in  revitalization projects in the downtown, decided to build a cinema complex on the  former silk factory site in the midst of the town. 

 

The resolution to convert the old wooden factory into movie theaters

There were 8 buildings on the site including two old wooden buildings. After finding a roof frame, behind the ceiling, made in trussed structure of beautiful wood, we dared to propose that the two old silk factories were not to be torn down but to be converted to the movie theaters, while there had been few conversion projects of the wooden buildings in Japan because they had been wrongly believed to be difficult to sustain. Since then we started to design the unique cinema complex characterized by exposed wooden structure that had supported the heavy load of snow fall for 80 years and the atmosphere that reminds us of the old silk factory and the golden years when this town was prospering in silk business.   

 

Added RC structure to existing wooden framework

Theater floor made of RC slab and sound insulation walls were added carefully to the existing structure. And we installed acoustic wall overed with wooden louver that symbolizes the warp and woof of silk texture.

Noise level is kept down and noises originating within theaters do not transfer to the outside of the building. 

 

Featured trussed structure made of wood

Trussed structure was exposed for the visitors to see. Repeated trussed girders seen from the lounge produce a sense of movement and create an impressive effect. Beams are lighted by the skylight installed to admit daylight to the entrance hall and lounge and we feel an expanded impression of space here.

Walls are finished with cedar strips jointed in tongue and groove shape as were the original buildings we supposed to be. And floor board is chestnut.   Tsuruoka Machinaka Kinema: A film theater complex converted from an old silk factory in Tsuruoka

Tokihiko Takatani

Architect/Professor

Tokihiko Takatani and associates, architecture/urban design, Tokyo

Graduate school of Tohoku Koeki Univ. Tsuruoka city, Yamagata

高谷時彦/建築家・都市デザイナー

設計計画高谷時彦事務所/東京都文京区千石4-37-4

東北公益文科大学大学院/山形県鶴岡市馬場町14-1