The Ex-Prefectural Office has been transformed to become the Gifu People’s Building which is a one stop point for all Gifu residents regardless of age to be able come together to take part in active citizenry activities. Overall, the design of the building seeks to allow Gifu to foster a stronger connection between the government, businesses and residents, all of which are intertwined by the circulation of the neighbouring City Hall, Media Cosmos and the flow of transport through the vicinity.
On the first floor three main activities takes place; the recycling of materials brought in by residents, a secondhand and exchange goods shop which would reuse these materials, and also spaces within the integrated carpark for recharging e-vehicles so as to increase convenience for people to adopt e-transports. On the second floor two main activities takes place; FABLAB and workshops spaces to allow residents to reimagine possibilities and create their own projects, and the linked repurposed carpark which is an open-air experiment area for their projects. On the third floor two main activities takes place; data informatics and citizen science spaces allow for active citizenry so that the local government would be able to make use of these data to rejuvenate the residents life, and there are research spaces to process these data.
This building is redesigned to be open and accessible for all, hence the new façade has more entrances and ramps. Lifts are also added, and multiple walls have been demolished. The former façade is of heritage importance and is largely preserved to become the new back entrance to show this dualism in adaptive reuse. Hence, as whole this building would be able to foster stronger relationship between the government, businesses and people- for everyone, forever.
Original source from: http://asd.courses.sutd.edu.sg/option-studio-one/2020/10/23/gifu-peoples-building/
