Kozoji Station South Exit Plaza
Redevelopment of the area around the station as a new town
Kozoji Station is located in the southern part of Kozoji New Town, and is used by an average of 50,000 passengers per day. There are general hospitals and public facilities in the surrounding area. In recent years, traffic issues such as congestion of general vehicles and an increasing need for space to stay have become apparent. In addition, the resident population is decreasing in the new town and surrounding areas. The Kozoji Town Development initiative, which was triggered by the city's station redevelopment, aims to transform the area from a place to pass through into a gateway with a rich activity space to stay. As a project to attract people to the town and to make new use of the station square and the space in front of the station, a design team for the Kozoji Station Area was established to carry out redevelopment from both hard and soft aspects, such as the "renovation of the Kozoji Station South Exit Station Square" and the "renovation of the underground passage."
Designs inspired by place names and topography
Kozoji New Town is surrounded on three sides by mountains and rivers, and many place names are derived from trapezoids, such as Fujiyamadai and Chuo-dai. The suspended signs on the underpass ceiling and the shape of the ceiling material incorporate a trapezoidal motif.
In addition, a three-dimensional sign in the planting area made of materials from Kozoji Temple and the surrounding area (Mt Takamori, Mt Takaza, security forests, etc.) has a shape that makes you want to look into it. The casual concrete pavement is made of chert stone from the neighbourhood to create a space that is unique to the area.
A human-scale station square created with civil engineering and interior design
Cedar benches of different shapes have been installed in different locations, and the soft lighting of the standing lamps creates a relaxing space that is not only suitable for meeting up but also for taking a break and unwinding, just like at home.
By using highly transparent materials and using aluminum louvered roofing, light is actively drawn in under the shelter, creating a bright and open space. Linear lighting is installed on the outdoor furniture and the roof surrounding the rotary, creating a bright linear impression, and a lighting plan that allows the area to be used safely even at night.
Planting plan to know the town's genes
All the tall trees were transplanted from the dense forest in the new town, which improved the environment by bringing light into the forest, which had become too dark, and contributed to the development of the surrounding green spaces. By transplanting within the city limits, the CO2 emissions during material transportation were taken into consideration.
Seeds were collected from the surrounding forest reserves and transplanted onto the forest floor. Seedlings were raised over a period of two years, and then planted in a planting workshop with local residents, resulting in the creation of a green space unique to Kozoji. The aim was to create a small Kozoji botanical garden in front of the station.
In the planting areas, signs stating not only the names of the trees but also their place of origin were installed, making the area more familiar to local residents.
A slow approach that continues to develop even after completion
The "Ekihiro Ikusei Club" is a local student group that meets once a month to clean benches and pavement in the station square and maintain the plantings. Currently, they are working with the local "Takamoriyama Forest Support Club" to develop club activities that involve citizens in having fun while cultivating the plants.
While continuing the demonstration experiment "KOZOJI PLAT" that utilizes the taxi stand and outdoor space, we will establish a management method for public-private partnerships and explore how to utilize it as a new place to increase options for time spent in the station square.
After the renovation was completed, design books "Let's Meet at the Station 1" and "Let's Meet at the Station 2" were produced to widely communicate the design ideas to local residents.
It is available to the public on the website and in the citizen corner.
Completion | March 2023
Scale | Site area 3,100m2
Address | 4-chome, Kozoji-cho, Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture
Uses | Station Square
Contents |Landscape
Basic Design
Detailed design
Construction Supervision
Owner | Kasugai City
Construction｜-
Photography: SfG (Ono)
