The most public of the eight
Sixth from the north, the Community Exchange Hall is where the old warehouse row opens most fully to visitors. Built in 1934 like its neighbors, it belongs with sheds four through six, which were remodeled inside to form the university's Open Center: the crafts-experience hall, the gallery, and this exchange hall.
Together those three sheds turn the northern-central stretch of the row into a public wing of the campus.
A hall for the city
Inside are an exhibition area, a multipurpose hall, and rest facilities, and the programming faces outward. Public lectures and hands-on learning bring townspeople into a building that once held only sacks of rice.
The 2000 registration protects the group for its value to the historic landscape, a category separate from the Important Cultural Property designation.
Continuity you can walk into
This is the shed to enter if you want to feel the conversion at human scale. The deep timber volume that stored grain now holds chairs, displays and conversation.
Its second life as a civic room is the clearest sign that heritage here is used, not merely kept. Check the current program before visiting, since events set the hours.
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Q&A
- What is the Community Exchange Hall for?
- It hosts public lectures, hands-on learning, exhibitions and events as part of the university's Open Center, opening the campus to local residents.
- How does it relate to the other sheds?
- It is one of three sheds, Nos. 4 to 6, remodeled together as the Open Center, alongside the crafts-experience hall and the gallery.
- Can the public go inside this one?
- Yes; this shed is among the more publicly accessible, though it is best to check current programs and hours with the university.
- Is this a designated Important Cultural Property?
- No. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property recognized for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Community Exchange Hall, University Open Center |
|---|---|
| Location | 12-3 Shinya-Okawamachi, Akita City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Registered | 26 September 2000 (25th registration round) |
| Registration No. | 05-0062 |
| Count | One building (ittō) |
| Date | 1934 (Showa 9) |
| Structure | Single-story timber, sheet-iron roof; footprint approx. 660 sq m |
| Criterion | Contributing to the nation's historic landscape |
| Owner | Akita University of Art (public university corporation) |
| Access | In use as campus facilities; enquire with the university about visits |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース — 秋田公立美術工芸短期大学大学開放センター地域交流棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001829
- 文化遺産オンライン — 秋田公立美術工芸短期大学大学開放センター地域交流棟
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/192829
- 秋田公立美術大学 公式サイト
- https://www.akibi.ac.jp/
Last verified: 2026.07.08