JMA has been involved with urban development of Yuda Onsen in Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture since 2009 and has worked on the design of the “Yunoya” hot spring source facility (completed in 2010) and “Kitsune no Ashiato,” the Yuda-Onsen Welcome Square (completed in 2015). In Yuda Onsen, which we have had such a close association with, the Yuda-Onsen Konkon Park facility has been developed as part of initiatives aimed at forming an urban space where several generations, not just tourists, can interact and keep living in full health.
As we evaluated the facility plans, we exchanged opinions with a wide range of people through public workshops, expert conferences with knowledgeable people in various fields, workshops on play equipment with local elementary school students, and other opportunities in a process that was shaped by interactions with local people across several generations.

In the design, we followed the “Yuda Modern” style that we have consistently used in the previous urban development, while proposing a new “Kokoro-Odoru” (spirit of excitement) sub-concept to hand this over to the next generation to pave the way for development as a healthy, vibrant city. To put this into practice, we visualized the building as a whole as “play equipment” and planned a facility where everyone from children to adults could find their own place.

The facility has an interaction building in the center, with the hot springs building accessible via a corridor. The all-weather great roof plaza, which is the main area of the interaction building, can be utilized as a multifunction plaza for markets, public viewings, and other events, and can also handle musical events while reducing noise for surrounding residents by closing the large, movable sliding doors. The interaction building also has a hot springs interaction space, where people can enjoy dining while soaking their feet in hot springs and can learn about the city’s many attractions, the Mochimaki Terrace, where hosts can do “mochimaki” (throwing rice cakes to guests to celebrate events), a part of Yamaguchi City’s culture, and three multipurpose rooms that are available for renting.
The hot springs building functions as a hub for the hot springs district, and has two bathing rooms designed with different tastes, “Mori-no-yu” (forest hot springs) and “Sora-no-yu” (sky hot springs), and two baths available for block reservations (one of which has a tub with an elevating floor for barrier-free use).
Outside, a fountain plaza and a grassy plaza function as spaces where residents and tourists can casually drop in. The grassy plaza has large play equipment with a “white fox” motif that represents Yuda Onsen and symbolizes the facility, as well as hot springs for visitors to soak their feet in. On the second floor of the interaction building, a terrace spreads out with inclusive play equipment, a herb garden, and a space where visitors can draw all over the walls, and the grand staircase on the southwestern corner of the site forms a place contiguous with the surrounding city where visitors can stroll around.

Although it has been more than 16 years since we formulated the urban development guidelines in 2009, we hope that this facility will further deepen the “Yuda Modern” style and carry it into the future through its use by a wide range of people.

Reference 
YUDA-ONSEN KONKONPARK Official Website (Yamaguchi City)