Project representative:
Yohei Kiyoyama(Assistant Professor/Graduate School of Engineering/Department of Architecture/Kyoto University )

Collaborating researchers and co-researchers:
・Takanori Narihara(Doctoral Student/Graduate School of Engineering/Department of Architecture/Kyoto University)

Introducing this project

Art and cultural activities are essential to the wellbeing of citizens in their daily lives, but their sustainability and development are not easy. In Kyoto, one of the most culturally rich cities in the world, there are several facilities where arts and cultural activities are held in the same space for everyone from top-notch artists in the various genres to students and local residents. Kyoto is unique in that these facilities have been nurtured over several decades by converting and renovating modern buildings, especially in the city center, where a strong community still exists today. The purpose of this study is to clarify the growth process of art and cultural spaces in such Kyoto-style art centers.

Specifically, we focus on the 1928 Building (former Kyoto branch of the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper), which was registered as a tangible cultural property by Kyoto city, and the Kyoto Art Center (former Meirin Elementary School), which was registered as a tangible cultural property by the national government. We believe that both of these buildings, which are currently facing a crisis of existence, would benefit from an opportunity to look back after a quarter of a century since their establishment. The research methods used were interviews, document research, and measurement surveys of the building. We focused on the acceptance of a wide range of artistic and cultural activities, changes in flexible management in response to these activities, and transitions in the function, use, and shape of these modern buildings.