Yasuyuki KAWANISHI + ICHIBANSEN / nextstations
​川西 康之 + 株式会社イチバンセン 一級建築士事務所 / ネクストステーションズ

Kawanishi Town, located in the central part of the Nara Basin, developed following the opening of the railway in 1923. After the war, as Nara Prefecture expanded into a bedroom community for Osaka and Kyoto, residential and industrial complexes were developed in the town during the 1960s and 1970s, leading to a rapid increase in the resident population. Even today, approximately 2,000 people per day use Yuzaki Station, the town’s only station—meaning one-quarter of the town’s population commutes outside the town by train for work or school. However, half a century after the housing complexes were built, the former new town faces typical challenges: an aging population and increasing population outflow. Furthermore, the station building is deteriorating, and the station plaza has mismatched pedestrian and vehicle flow paths.

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To address these potential challenges and catalyze future-oriented community development, Kawanishi Town and Ichibansen conducted a total of 16 resident-participation workshops titled “Yuzaki Station Future Sessions” starting in 2016. Kawanishi Town is the hometown of the architect, Kawanishi.

Aiming to create a “Town People Want to Live In and Continue Living In,” this initiative facilitated direct dialogue among residents spanning generations, from elementary school children to seniors. This process identified local needs and deepened mutual understanding with the administration.

The Future Session identified the following needs:

・A space enjoyable for children and families with young children, naturally fostering multigenerational interaction, including seniors
・A lively, enjoyable station plaza where people gather even without train travel needs
・A safe, secure space where someone is always present, welcoming people to linger

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Based on these insights, a master plan was formulated for the station building, public restrooms, community facilities, police box, and station plaza. This plan integrates the redevelopment of Yuzaki Station’s front area. The goal is to create a vibrant, enjoyable station plaza that fosters multigenerational interaction and realizes a Kawanishi Town where people want to live.

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The spatial composition concept is “a nostalgic yet new modern station front space.” It creates a space that combines warmth and openness by modernly reinterpreting the design of the Yamato-mune, a traditional Nara architectural style, and by actively incorporating natural materials under a light steel-framed roof. Using the Yamato-mune motif, a composition of roofs at varying heights creates a continuous sequence. This softly segments different functions—the station building, public restrooms, community facilities, and police box—while forming a harmonious, unified landscape overall.

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〈Yuzaki STATION & PARK〉 occupies a rare site that encompasses an ancient burial mound. Upon exiting the ticket gates, the station front, the park, and the mound’s landscape merge seamlessly. The bustling facilities adjacent to the station building connect directly to the station building. The shared kitchen features rotating vendors each day, ensuring visitors discover new delights with every visit. Under a large roof, benches, artificial turf, and wooden decks provide ample space to relax. A police box is also integrated, ensuring a safe environment for all visitors.

 

Regular events, such as markets using the park and lively facilities, foster natural “seeing and being seen” interactions among residents. The station area is being redefined not just as a transit point, but as a symbolic public space for the community.

We wanted to create a station area where all townspeople gather and feel ownership in its use. This long-held wish of Kawanishi residents, after over a decade of dialogue, has borne fruit in the form of a shared kitchen and plaza adjacent to the station. Yuzaki Station, imbued with nostalgia yet equipped with modern functionality and design, will continue to evolve as a place that remains close to the community, fostering liveliness and interaction.