Architects:Meguro Architecture Laboratory

Area:86m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Koichi Torimura

Manufacturers:Fukuvi,LIXIL,Sanko Metal,Sentry,Shinsei,Sugatsune,Toto,YKK AP

Lead Architects:Mitsuru Hirai and Sayu Yamaguchi

Structural Design:TIS&PARTNERS

Contractor:Daiwa Corporation

Program / Use / Building Function:Police box

City:Fukuyama

Country:Japan

“Fukuyama higashi police station Ekimae KOBAN” is a police box of Fukuyama higashi police station, located in front of Fukuyama Station, Fukuyama city, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Our proposal won the competition to design a new police box in front of the Station. According to Fukuyama Station Area Design Plan 2019, this area will be surrounded by high-rise buildings of offices and hotels. Therefore, our proposal was to design the police box at a human scale to reduce distances between spaces and people.

Design concept - In this project, we had incorporated 3 original thinking. First, "friendly police box" was originally proposed as a new design concept for the police box which had never existed before. In general perception, in Japan, police boxes are generally stationed by police and inaccessible to the public. In order to provide friendly space and atmosphere for relaxation, stone benches were placed around the entrance of the building as a street furniture. This can make the new image of this police box is friendlier and more accessible. Additionally, it will be a place where pedestrians can feel, walk and use safely 24 hours a day.

Second, the design showed a hybrid of the local image.  The shape of the building was designed to symbolize "Tomo no ura" (Fukuyama city's a traditional lighthouse) which is a historical cultural property of the city. Furthermore, the use of titanium zinc steel panels on external walls of the police box also represented the material of Fukuyama Castle because this castle is only a steel-clad castle in Japan. These above incorporated the 3 new ideas which did not exist before in the design of police box and will represent a new type of the police box in the future.

Third, as Fukuyama was a city of steel industry, titanium zinc alloy panels was selected as the main material for building's structure and exterior walls to express city characteristic. For interior walls, Cedar woods from local woods was chosen. Moreover, stone which for making benches was also quarried in this area. Therefore, this project contributed to local production to revitalize local industry.

Site conditions - Site condition is one of planning challenges. First, a plaza in front of the building was designed to link to new zebra crossing where pedestrians can feel safe when walking in the night. Second, security issue is also important. Therefore, windows at office area were set to higher level that police officers can see outside but pedestrians cannot see inside the building.

Structure - The structure of the police box was steel frame, and the exterior walls were cladded by titanium zinc alloy panels. The reason why titanium zinc alloy panels were chosen for this project because it is non-ferrous metals which highly corrosion and rust resistant. Therefore, is was suitable for highly corrosive environments like Fukuyama city. Moreover, Fukuyama city was known for steel industry, so using this material can express the character of the city. For the interior, Cedar woods with in Hiroshima Prefecture were used. Thanks to color characteristic of Cedar woods, it gave gradient shades of wall naturally which was a special character of this police box.

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Project location

Address:Fukuyama city, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan