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Echoes Shinmachi 複合用途ビル by Hyunsoon Park

Echoes Shinmachi 複合用途ビル by Hyunsoon Park is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銀賞 in 建築・建物・構造物デザイン Competition Category.


銀建築· 2026

Echoes Shinmachi 複合用途ビル

by Hyunsoon Park

Client: Kosugi Real Estate Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award 銀賞 Winner in 建築 Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #176646

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The Design

About Echoes Shinmachi 複合用途ビル

エコーズ新町は、熊本にある複合用途ビルで、現代的な革新を通じて伝統を再解釈しています。デザインは、耐久性のための鉄筋コンクリートと軽やかさのための木材を組み合わせ、強度と洗練のバランスを確立しています。熟練の職人によって積まれた地元産の焼成レンガは、文化的遺産を反映しつつ、レジリエンスを確保しています。各階には川沿いのテラスが設けられ、季節ごとの関わりとコミュニティの暮らしを促します。ハイブリッド構造、素材の対比、持続可能な手法の統合を通じて、このプロジェクトは歴史をつなぐ現代のランドマークとして存在しています。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銀賞

Echoes Shinmachi 複合用途ビルは、見事で印象的なハイエンドのデザインに授与される、非常に権威ある評価である A' Design Award 銀賞の受賞作品です。銀賞の受賞作品は、きわめて輝かしく創造性に富んだ作品であり、デザイナーの傑出した専門知識、才能、洞察力を示しています。Echoes Shinmachi 複合用途ビルは、素晴らしい代表作であり、驚くほどプロフェッショナルで、深く革新的であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 銀賞を受賞したデザインは、非常に注目すべき称賛される発明であり、芸術・科学・デザイン・技術の境界に寄与し、それを前進させます。Echoes Shinmachi 複合用途ビルは、多くの人に羨まれる創造物であり、欲求を呼び覚まし、前向きな感情をもたらし、驚きと感嘆を灯します。

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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