企画家具植栽社会実験設計監理

PUBLIC FURNITURE TRIAL

歩道での活動を豊かにする、ファニチャーの調整帯
Adjustable furniture strips to enrich sidewalk activities

設計監理:ara (アリソン、亀井*)

施工:ゴーストファニチャー

塗料:武蔵塗料 

植栽:東邦レオ

資材提供:立教小学校

主催:グリーン大通りエリアマネジメント協議会

企画運営:株式会社nest /株式会社良品計画/株式会社サンシャインシティ/株式会社グリップセカンド

写真:Kenta Hasegawa

活動写真:nest、ara

 

Ikebukuro Station has an average daily ridership of approximately 2.64 million passengers. This makes it the third busiest station in the world, following Shinjuku Station and Shibuya Station. Green Boulevard, which extends from the east exit of Ikebukuro Station, is approximately 320 meters long and 40 meters wide (with a sidewalk width of approximately 10 meters). Even within Ikebukuro, an entertainment district densely packed with commercial facilities such as department stores and fashion buildings, as well as numerous restaurants, this street is lined with business-oriented buildings such as banks and office buildings.

In 2014, Toshima Ward was designated by research conducted by the Japan Creation Council as the only “potential disappearing city” in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Following this announcement, the ward accelerated its efforts to maintain its population and revitalize the area. Amidst this, Ikebukuro living loop, which was the catalyst for this social experiment, has been fostering everyday places to hang out in the city’s outdoor spaces since 2017, mainly along Green Boulevard, through markets and street kiosks, based on the concept of “everyday life with a living space in the city.”

This PUBLIC FURNITURE TRIAL was a social experiment to create places for people in the city through the installation of street furniture designed by four groups of designers active in Toshima Ward (Sudo Tsuyoshi Design Office, Yosuke SAGOSHI Atelier, Kamiike Mokuchin Network, and ara), including the process of operation and maintenance.

The site assigned to us faced a bus stop and convenience store, experiencing significant fluctuations in the number of people lingering depending on the time of day. We designed to gently divide the sidewalk, bustling with diverse people, into three lanes using high tables, benches, and plantings.

On the convenience store side, a “Quick Lane” for those in a hurry.

In the center of the 10m-wide sidewalk, at the base of a large tree, we placed high tables for the “Quick Stop Lane”—ideal for grabbing a quick rice ball or sending a quick email on your laptop.

In an area where some plant roots were removed, surrounded by greenery, we placed a large bench for the “Rest Lane”—a spot to step away from the hustle and bustle and relax.

By adjusting posture, speed, and direction, the street furniture acts as a buffer zone, revealing the rich tapestry of activities possible within the sidewalk.

設計監理:ara (アリソン、亀井*)

施工:ゴーストファニチャー

塗料:武蔵塗料 

植栽:東邦レオ

資材提供:立教小学校

主催:グリーン大通りエリアマネジメント協議会

企画運営:株式会社nest /株式会社良品計画/株式会社サンシャインシティ/株式会社グリップセカンド

写真:Kenta Hasegawa

活動写真:nest、ara

 

・Creating a place to stay within the planting zone

The planting in the median strip of Green Boulevard is about 2.5m-3m deep. Evergreen, low-maintenance shrubs such as Azaleas and Evergreen spindle tree are planted, creating a very dense canopy of branches and leaves. The dense canopy makes it impossible to reach inside, creating a space with almost no sunlight or airflow. At the same time, it has become a place where various items are discarded and hidden.

For this project, we decided to adjust part of this planting strip. Some of the shrubs were uprooted and replaced with low-density ground cover plants. When we started uprooting them, we found garbage bags full of trash and bulky items such as carts and furniture hidden among the plants. In addition, because the soil area at the base of the large trees on Green Boulevard was small, the ground was hard and dry, making it difficult to replant easily. Therefore, we replaced some of the topsoil and planted new plants.

The adjusted planting strip now partially screens the roadway and creates a place for people to take refuge within the pedestrian-vehicle separation zone.

・Circulation of the local materials

The tops of the high tables and benches use flooring salvaged from the demolition site of the nearby Rikkyo Elementary School gymnasium. With the cooperation of the site crew, we retrieved plywood over 60mm thick, cleaned it, coated it with bio-based paint to minimize reliance on fossil resources, and reused it.

Areas in contact with the body were rounded and chamfered, resulting in a smooth, comfortable finish despite being reclaimed wood.

 

Neighbors, members of Ikebukuro CCC, and student interns participated in the planting and painting work, providing an opportunity for everyone to engage in creating their own space.