Imabari Civic Center
Imabari Civic Center is the third of architect Tange Kenzo’s trio of public buildings for the city of Imabari. Built in 1965, the Civic Center was a later addition to the site already occupied by the Tange-designed Imabari City Hall and Imabari City Public Hall. Between them, the three buildings form a public plaza in the middle of the city. Standing directly opposite the Public Hall, Imabari Civic Center is a flexible public space for meetings and events.
Like its neighboring buildings, Imabari Civic Center opens directly onto the plaza. As with much of Tange’s work, plain, unadorned concrete is the main material, and this is especially visible in the stepped concrete roof. However, unlike the Imabari Public Hall, with its brutalist concrete facade, Imabari Civic Center relies more on glass. Tall vertical louver windows dominate the second floor, which overhangs the first, echoing the stepped roof. Large windows on the first floor give the building a gentler, less imposing entrance.
Inside, the same polished wood, concrete, and scarlet highlights from Imabari City Public Hall are here, but with a more natural twist. Concrete pillars are riddled with lines and knots, like wooden beams, and on the second floor, the feature windows create rippling reflections like water on the polished floor.
