Echoes Shinmachi Función Principal: Edificio de Uso Mixto by Hyunsoon Park is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Plata in Diseño de Arquitectura, Edificación y Estructuras Competition Category.
PlataArquitectura· 2026
Echoes Shinmachi Función Principal: Edificio de Uso Mixto
Client: Kosugi Real Estate Co., Ltd.
A' Design Award de Plata Winner in Arquitectura Category
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- Verified Award Winner
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The Design
About Echoes Shinmachi Función Principal: Edificio de Uso Mixto
Texto del Libro: Echoes Shinmachi es un edificio de uso mixto en Kumamoto que reinterpreta la tradición a través de la innovación contemporánea. El diseño combina hormigón armado para la durabilidad con madera para la ligereza, estableciendo un equilibrio entre fortaleza y refinamiento. La mampostería de ladrillo cocido localmente, colocada por hábiles artesanos, refleja el patrimonio cultural mientras garantiza la resiliencia. Cada planta incorpora terrazas junto al río que fomentan la conexión estacional y la vida comunitaria. A través de su estructura híbrida, sus contrastes de materiales y la integración de prácticas sostenibles, el proyecto se erige como un hito moderno que tiende un puente hacia la historia.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award de Plata
Echoes Shinmachi Función Principal: Edificio de Uso Mixto ha ganado el A' Design Award de Plata, un reconocimiento extraordinariamente prestigioso concedido a diseños de gama alta, magníficos e impresionantes. Los ganadores de Plata son obras tremendamente brillantes y sumamente creativas que ilustran la destacada experiencia, el talento y la agudeza de sus diseñadores. Se espera que Echoes Shinmachi Función Principal: Edificio de Uso Mixto sea una obra maravillosa y emblemática, notablemente profesional y profundamente innovadora. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Plata es una invención muy notable y admirada que beneficia y hace avanzar las fronteras del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología. Echoes Shinmachi Función Principal: Edificio de Uso Mixto es una creación enormemente envidiada que evoca deseos, aporta sentimientos positivos y despierta asombro y admiración.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Echoes Shinmachi is a mixed-use building in Kumamoto that reinterprets tradition through innovation. The design integrates reinforced concrete for permanence and timber for lightness, combining strength with refinement. Locally crafted brickwork connects to cultural heritage, while riverside terraces on every floor invite community interaction. Its hybrid structure, material contrast, and sustainable balance of durability and renewal distinguish it as a contemporary landmark that embodies both resilience and continuity.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Structure: Reinforced concrete and timber hybrid. Floors: B1 plus 2F. Site area: 188.17 sq.m. Building footprint: 126.09 sq.m. Total floor area: 253.63 sq.m. Roof: fluoropolymer-coated aluminum-zinc alloy steel sheet. Exterior walls: brick, exposed reinforced concrete (RC). Interior finishes: brick flooring, brick ceiling. Design period: Sept 2022 to July 2023. Construction period: Apr 2024 to Mar 2025.
- Tags
- Mixed Use Building, Hybrid Structure, Reinforced Concrete and Timber, Brick Facade, Riverside Architecture, Sustainable Design, Community Space, Kumamoto, Contemporary Japanese Architecture, Cultural Heritage
- Production Technology
- Echoes Shinmachi employs a hybrid structural system combining reinforced concrete for the basement and first floor with timber construction on the upper floor. Locally fired brick was laid by skilled craftsmen to achieve durability and warmth, while large glazed openings and cantilevered terraces required advanced structural detailing. A sustainable balance was pursued by integrating long-lasting concrete and renewable timber, ensuring resilience, cultural continuity, and a forward-looking architectural identity.
- Design Challenge
- The greatest challenge was reconciling historical continuity with modern requirements. The project had to respect Kumamoto's heritage while introducing new forms of mixed-use architecture. Externally, strict building codes and structural demands for cantilevered terraces required advanced engineering solutions. Internally, balancing durability with renewal through reinforced concrete (RC) and timber integration was complex. Overcoming these obstacles created a design rooted in tradition yet adaptable for the future.
- Research
- Type of research: architectural and cultural investigation. Objective: to integrate Kumamoto's historic riverside townscape with contemporary needs. Methodology: site surveys, archival research, and structural prototyping. Data collection: mapping riverfront use and studying traditional brickwork. Participants: local craftsmen, engineers, and community interviews. Results: a hybrid reinforced concrete (RC)-timber system and river terraces. Insights: architecture can connect heritage, sustainability, and community resilience.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration for Echoes Shinmachi came from Kumamoto's historic riverside townscape and the desire to bridge tradition with contemporary life. Motivated by the memory of the city and the resilience of its people, the project reinterprets local materials and craftsmanship through modern construction. Research into hybrid structures and cultural continuity guided the design, creating a building rooted in heritage yet open to the future.
- Project Duration
- The project started in September 2022 in Kumamoto, Japan, and the design phase was completed in July 2023. Construction commenced in April 2024 and is scheduled to be completed by March 2025. Echoes Shinmachi is located along the Tsuboigawa River in the historic Shinmachi district of Kumamoto.
- Operation Flow
- Visitors experience Echoes Shinmachi through a gradual sequence of spaces. From the riverside steps, one descends into a quiet public basement with views of the flowing water. The ground floor opens to the city as retail space, encouraging everyday interaction. On the second floor, offices extend toward the river with terraces that invite gatherings and seasonal discovery. The building performs better by linking city, community, and nature in a continuous flow.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Hyunsoon PARK / LaundryRice Architects, 2025.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Harunori NODA (Architectural Photographer) Ganko-sha, Echoes Shinmachi, 2025.
Image #2: Photographer Harunori NODA (Architectural Photographer) Ganko-sha, Echoes Shinmachi, 2025.
Image #3: Photographer Harunori NODA (Architectural Photographer) Ganko-sha, Echoes Shinmachi, 2025.
Image #4: Photographer Harunori NODA (Architectural Photographer) Ganko-sha, Echoes Shinmachi, 2025.
Image #5: Photographer Harunori NODA (Architectural Photographer) Ganko-sha, Echoes Shinmachi, 2025.
IP / COPYRIGHT / IMAGE / SOUND / VIDEO CREDITS: Photos © Harunori NODA, Architecture © Hyunsoon PARK / LaundryRice Architects
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