Nakano City Central Library Children's Corner

This project involved the concept design, interiors renovation, and environmental features of the "Children's Corner" at Nakano City Central Library, located a 10-minute walk from Nakano Station.
Our goal was to create a space where both parents and children can feel comfortable and where the joy of books can blossom.
In the raised space, we have created and installed benches, a bookshelf for picture-story shows, and wooden motifs, as well as rotating blocks and a device for measuring height.
Other items designed and produced include a bulletin board with a mailbox, hemispherical chairs, and adjustable bookshelves. In producing the wooden fixtures, they use "wood from Tama," a local timber source in Tokyo, from the perspective of wood education.
Additionally, 11 types of book stands were produced, including ones featuring the Central Library's original characters, creating a space that is both playful and warm.

1. Maintenance of interiors and fixtures: Reviewing interiors materials and fixtures that have been used for many years and designing and creating new ones that are safe for children to use.
2) The space we aim for: to create a space where people can engage with books in a variety of ways, whether they are with their children or alone, while talking or in silence.
3) Use of local wood: From the perspective of wood education, we will use "wood from Tama" grown in the Tama region of Tokyo.

interiors and fixtures were designed and construction with consideration not only of safety and hygiene, but also of operational aspects such as cleaning and maintenance.
The space is designed to encourage various ways to enjoy books, such as "parents and children can read aloud in the raised space" and "solo reading in the hemispherical chairs." In addition, a green and orange color scheme and wooden concept design are used to create a sense of connection to the nearby Momijiyama Cultural Forest.
When using "wood from Tama," we put a lot of thought into selecting the paint so that the wood grain would be visible, creating a space where you can "see and touch" the warmth of the wood.