SAKURA, Chiba — Sakura City Hall in Chiba Prefecture stands on elevated ground about a 10-minute walk southwest of Keisei-Sakura Station. Its building No. 1 was designed by Kisho Kurokawa (1934-2007), one of Japan’s leading architects, and completed in 1971.
The six-story reinforced-concrete building, with one basement level, resembles a cluster of independent capsules. Its exterior combines functionality and aesthetic appeal. The building is reminiscent of the former Nakagin Capsule Tower, also designed by Kurokawa, in Tokyo’s Ginza district. The residential tower, composed of stacked capsules with circular windows, attracted considerable attention for its innovative design.
In Sakura City Hall, a gridlike structural system known as a “waffle slab” is used in the canopy above the first-floor entrance and in various parts of the building’s ceilings. This construction method creates wide, open spaces free of projecting columns. The name “waffle slab” comes from its resemblance to a waffle.
The entrance lobby features a glass-walled atrium designed to let in natural light. The adjacent municipal assembly building was also designed by Kurokawa.
The city hall grounds also contain buildings No. 2, 3 and 4, as well as the social welfare center.
(Japanese original by Akihiro Ogomori, Photo and Video Department)
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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on April 13, 2025.
This series explores Japan’s architectural wonders and secrets of yesteryear. Read more Retro Japan articles here.
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