This big project is now in progress about a five-minute walk from the Nihon-odori Station on the Minato Mirai subway line, not far from Yamashita Park. It involves the construction of an important new art and cultural center for Yokohama, in a complex that will include the Kanagawa Arts Theater (featuring a 1,300-seat performance hall and multipurpose studios of all different sizes) as well as an NHK broadcasting facility. It is scheduled to open in early 2011.

The site will include 24,091m² of total floor space from B1 to 10F, and will use a combination of reinforced concrete (RC), steel frame (S), and steel-framed reinforced concrete (SRC) construction. A building housing the studios will be on the western side of the facility. In the lower floors of the building on the east side will be the NHK broadcasting station, while the middle and upper floors will sit atop the performance hall. An eight-story atrium will link the eastern and western halves of the complex. The performance hall will be an urban-style theater, to be used primarily for stage plays and musicals. A notable feature of the performance hall is its four-sided stage and movable audience seats, the slope of which can be adjusted. The hall will make it possible for troupes to put on stage performances that are extremely challenging from a technical standpoint.

This is a 13,000m² multi-use structure located in the center of Minato Mirai 21 across the street from the Yokohama Art Museum. Kajima is the contractor, and began construction in January 2009.

The building’s floor space will total 114,531m², including 26 floors aboveground, two floors underground, and a one-floor penthouse, built using a combination of steel frame (S) and steel-framed reinforced concrete (SRC) construction. The building will also be equipped with Kajima’s proprietary Hi-DAX-e structural response control system.

The project calls for a skyscraper that will house ultra-modern office and commercial space in a safe, comfortable environment. The facade design is “simple, delicate, and elegant” and seeks to create a new landmark for the local area. The building will also have a plaza with numerous elements, including public art and water pools, to accentuate the site’s close connection with the port and the sea.

Construction is scheduled for completion in June 2011.

As the successor to a Chinese school set up by the Yokohama overseas Chinese community in 1898 in response to calls by Sun Yat-sen, the Yamate Chinese School has a history that dates back over 100 years. The school teaches over 400 children at the kindergarten, elementary, and secondary levels. Education here is targeted especially for third- and fourth-generation overseas Chinese children, but this internationally diverse institution also accepts students from Japan and other countries, as well.

Construction of a new school building got started in Naka-ku in March 2009 to expand the school’s facilities and replace the existing building, which was showing the signs of age.

Architect Associates Yokohama is in charge of project management, while Kajima is responsible for design and construction.

The new building will rise seven stories above ground (using a combination of reinforced concrete (RC) and steel frame (S) construction) and include 12,266m² of total floor space. The design concept calls for “a key building in Yokohama Chinatown that will proudly represent Chinese culture.” In addition to classrooms, there will be a Chinese Culture Center on the first floor to spread knowledge about Chinese culture, promote Japan-China friendship, and integrate the school into the life of the local community.

Construction is tentatively scheduled for completion in February 2010.