Photography: Kudo Photo

A multi-purpose auditorium with 2,021 seats was designed in the lower levels of a redeveloped building at the south exit of JR Hachioji Station, out of the necessity to reconstruct the former hall, which had suffered deterioration and defective functions.
The design themes include: (1) a sense of unity between the stage and the audience seats, (2) heightened sound and visibility, and (3) popularity among diverse age groups. These are achieved by incorporating the 2-floored balconies surrounding the stage, an orchestra pit, a stage lift that forms the fore stage, and reflectors.
Despite being a large hall, screens installed on the side balconies and an ingenious ceiling shape allow the realization of a reverberation time of 1.9 seconds (when fully seated and when reflectors are installed). The interior design, which utilizes wood and special coating, creates a space that gives out both classy and modern impressions.
In addition, with the newly developed vents, the air-conditioning of the audience seating area satisfies both the comfort and noise levels while also being economical.