Pure Semicircles Kapangidwe ka Mkati mwa Sukulu by Tetsuya Matsumoto

Pure Semicircles Kapangidwe ka Mkati mwa Sukulu by Tetsuya Matsumoto is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Mkati mwa Nyumba ndi Mawonekedwe Competition Category.

BronzeMkati· 2025

Pure Semicircles Kapangidwe ka Mkati mwa Sukulu

by Tetsuya Matsumoto

Client: Seigakusha Co., Ltd.

Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award Winner in Mkati Category

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Colors

The Design

About Pure Semicircles Kapangidwe ka Mkati mwa Sukulu

Pure Semicircles ndi kapangidwe ka mkati mwa sukulu yophunzitsira maphunziro owonjezera (cram school) ku Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan. Kapangidwe kameneka kamapereka malo oyera okhala ndi mizere ndi mawonekedwe ochepa, kuti ophunzira azitha kuyika maganizo awo pa maphunziro awo. Khomo lolowera limatsogolera ku malo olandirira alendo omwe ali ngati theka la bwalo, kumene galasi loyikidwa pamzere wapakati limawonetsera mawonekedwewo ndikumaliza bwalo lonse. Denga lake ndi lopangidwa ndi masamba a sitilo yosapanga dzimbiri yokhala ndi mafunde, ndipo limawunikiridwa ndi magetsi opanga mizere. Zomera zobiriwira ndi zitseko zamatabwa (wood blinds) zimawonjezera kufunda kwa malo oyera osalilidwa mwapadera. Zipinda ziwiri zophunzirira zili ndi tebulo lalikulu pakati ndiponso makaunta m'mbali mwa mazenera.

The Recognition

About the Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award

Pure Semicircles Kapangidwe ka Mkati mwa Sukulu ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka kwambiri komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino kwambiri omwe amaonekera ndi luso lolenga, kuchenjera ndi nzeru zakuthwa. Opambana a Bronze ndi zinthu zaluso kwambiri ndi zolenga modabwitsa zomwe zimatsimikizira zochitika zazikulu, kulingalira ndi kuchenjera kwa opanga awo. Pure Semicircles Kapangidwe ka Mkati mwa Sukulu akuyembekezeka kukhala chinthu choyamikiridwa, chosirira ndi chokondedwa, chaukatswiri wapadera ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a luso, sayansi, kapangidwe ndi ukadaulo ndipo ndi abwino kwambiri chifukwa cha kusamala kwawo zazing'ono. Pure Semicircles Kapangidwe ka Mkati mwa Sukulu amakwaniritsa zosowa mokongola, kukhudza zilakolako, kukopa mitima ndi kudzutsa chidwi.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Pure Semicircles is a cram school located in Osaka. The school offers a pure space with minimal lines and shapes where the students can focus on their subjects. Greenery maintains a strong presence to provide a relaxing atmosphere and wood blinds help create warmth in a rather minimalist white space. The main design point is the semicircular entrance with ripples stainless steel ceiling reflecting the space and a mirrored wall in the median that completes the circle.
Dimensions & Packaging: Gross Built Area: 149.69sqm
W20330mm x D13230mm x H2470mm
Tags: Japan, school, education, students, ripple, Osaka, minimalist, reflection, students, office
Production Technology: The space was created using drywall techniques and mostly finished in wall cloth.
The ceiling is made with rippled stainless steel sheets. The semicircle reception space has a mirror in the median line that reflects it and completes the circular form. The lighting is secured through linear light sources in the middle of the stainless steel and around it as well. The study room is equipped with downlights.
Design Challenge: The creative challenge was mostly how to make a school fashionable in the eyes of teenage students, fulfil its functional duty, all of this in a relatively narrow space and a relatively limited budget. How to keep a space pure while still making it cozy. How to make it rich in materiality while keeping it minimalist and not distracting. The answer was by using unique materials such as the rippled stainless steel for the ceiling, mirrored walls, greenery, and wood blinds.
Research: Pure Semicircles design has two axes of research. The first one is aimed at guaranteeing an atmosphere where students can focus on learning while still enjoying the space and relaxing. The second one is aimed at visually creating a space that is attractive in a relatively narrow room that is surrounded by windows that overlook the bustling city outside. The quest was to find a middle between the two.
Inspiration: This design is inspired by the function of the space. Schools need to have spaces that provide an atmosphere where students can concentrate on their studies. But they also need to be cozy and offer relaxed and playful places. More than just study desks, schools need to become attractive and interesting to their main users, teenagers who are already building their lives into our contemporary society.
Project Duration: Project start: September 2024.
Construction starts: December 2024.
Project/Construction End: January 2025.

Location:
Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan.
Operation Flow: The entrance gives straight to a semicircular reception space doubled by a mirrored wall. The reception leads then to the consultation booth where parents, students and staff can talk. The other side is occupied by offices. In the middle the space opens to the study space with a central table and a counter on the window side. Another arched opening leads to the second study room which is a counter along the windows.
Team Members: Tetsuya Matsumoto
Image Credits: Image #1: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #2: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #3: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #4: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.
Image #5: photographer ©Stirling Elmendorf Photography, Pure Semicircles, 2025.