Zoshunkaku Hall
In Joyama Park in Nagano City, there is a building called Zoshunkaku.
It was built in 1967 and is no longer in use. Before the building was closed, it was called the “former Zoshunkaku".
At this time, demolition work has not yet begun, but it has already been decided that the building will be demolished.
Therefore, this article is written as a record.
In fact, this Zoshunkaku is the second generation. The first Zoshunkaku was built in 1908.
It is said to have had a large hall with a floor space equivalent to 182 tatami mats.
Then, it was used as a public hall for meetings, events, and concerts, but was destroyed by fire in 1949.
The second Zoshunkaku was built in 1967 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nagano City Government.
It was designed by Hiroshi Misawa Laboratory and Rokuro Omura Architectural Design Office, and constructed by Moriya Shokai.
The three-story (partly four-story) reinforced concrete building was equipped with a hall, a coffee shop, a dining hall, and a wedding hall. A distinctive feature was the installation of an outdoor theater on the roof.
The open-air theater could accommodate 120 people, with a stage on the north side and a staircase-like audience seating on the south side.
This is the south face of the building.
The building is built on top of a hill, so walked around the base of the hill to the east side.
This is the east side.
Walking along the road on the north side of the building, this photo was taken from the northwest side.
Thirty years had passed since its completion, and the building had become damaged. 1998, Nagano City discussed the matter and decided to use the building for about 10 years with minimum necessary repairs such as leaks, and then to consider discontinuing the use of the building.
In January 2005, the decision was made to abolish the Zoshunkaku facility, and in March of the following year, the ordinance establishing the Zoshunkaku was repealed.
Although it was no longer operated Zoshunkaku as a public hall, the building was used as the “Joyama Community Center Annex” in April 2006 as a place for citizens’ activities. It also began to be called as the “former Zoshunkaku”.
I came around to the front again.
The front door is marked “Joyama Community Center Annex,” but the nameplate reading “Zoshunkaku” also remains.
On the northwest side of the building is a machine room. The staircase with a Showa-era flavor probably goes up to the dining hall.
In 2017, Nagano City decided to close the former Zoshunkaku because it would be difficult to maintain it through repairs.
And in March 2018, the former Zoshunkaku was closed.
The City plans to redevelop Joyama Park and announced a basic plan for the redevelopment of Joyama Park in 2020. In the plan, the demolition of Zoshunkaku was set for the mid-2020s.
Although a definite date is not known, the building will be dismantled in the near future.
[Reference] (written in Japanese)
“The Bulletin of the Nagano City Joyama Community Center” No. 175 (2018-03-01)
“Nagano City Archives Bulletin” Vol. 34 (April 2018)