Former Kyushu Institute of Design Environmental Imaging Building: Six Storeys Stepping Toward the Plaza
The Former Kyushu Institute of Design Environmental Imaging Building (旧九州芸術工科大学環境画像棟, Kankyō Gazō-tō) is a six-storey reinforced concrete school building completed in 1970 on Kyushu University's Ohashi Campus in Minami-ku, Fukuoka City, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 13, 2025. Today it is Building 2 of Kyushu University's School of Design.
It covers 808 square meters and stands on the north side of the square plaza known as the Fry Pan, its main face turned south toward the open space. The design came from the architect Hisao Koyama (香山壽夫) and the institute's Department of Environmental Design, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the Environmental Imaging Building one of the central buildings of Koyama's campus plan.
Why the Environmental Imaging Building Was Registered
The Environmental Imaging Building was listed as a registered building that has become a model of design. The Agency's description centers on its south elevation. Double-height lounges fill the lower floors and balconies line the upper ones, and the two are stacked so the facade rises in steps. That stepped front, the Agency notes, works in close harmony with the courtyard plaza laid out at second-floor level.
Lounges and balconies are neither classrooms nor laboratories. They are places where people linger between classes and look down on whatever is happening in the plaza. Koyama's plan set out to give teachers and students room to run into one another, and on this building that intention became the shape of the facade itself.
The Agency's database records the structure as "reinforced concrete, six storeys, building area 808 m², with plaza." The phrase suggests that the plaza enclosed by the five buildings is registered as an appendage of the Environmental Imaging Building, tying the open space to the building that faces it most squarely.
What to Look For at the Environmental Imaging Building
For the best view of the Former Kyushu Institute of Design Environmental Imaging Building, cross to the south edge of the plaza, in front of the Industrial Acoustics Building, and turn to face north. From there the whole building fits in the frame, and you can read the section as the double-height lounges below give way to balconies stepping back above. The frame is exposed concrete, so the bare structure is the finish.
Standing in the plaza, notice that its surface sits level with the building's second floor, so you can walk straight in without climbing stairs. Every one of the five buildings meets the raised plaza this way, and the Environmental Imaging Building receives that shared datum with the broadest facade of all.
The second floor holds an exhibition gallery, pictured among the Agency's photographs. According to the School of Design, the same floor of Building 2 contains the presentation room used by the environmental design course, where second- and third-year students hold design studios, critiques and one-to-one tutorials. Architecture students draw and argue on the floor that opens onto the plaza.
The building dates from 1970 and was renovated in 2014 and again in 2019.
Visiting the Environmental Imaging Building
The Environmental Imaging Building is still in daily use, and entry is limited to students and staff. The School of Design's English site notes that visitors can enjoy the concrete forms and balconies of the classroom buildings from outside, and this facade reads best from the plaza side.
The gallery and presentation room can be seen only during the School of Design's annual open day, held in June in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Which rooms open changes from year to year, so check the announcement before you go. Directions to the campus are on the Former Kyushu Institute of Design page.
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Q&A
- What is the Former Kyushu Institute of Design Environmental Imaging Building?
- A six-storey reinforced concrete school building completed in 1970 on Kyushu University's Ohashi Campus in Fukuoka City. Designed by Hisao Koyama with the institute's environmental design department, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 13, 2025, and is now Building 2 of the School of Design.
- What is distinctive about the Environmental Imaging Building's design?
- Its stepped south facade, with double-height lounges below and balconies above, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs praises for its harmony with the plaza at second-floor level.
- Is the Fry Pan plaza part of the Environmental Imaging Building's registration?
- The Agency's database lists the building as "six storeys, building area 808 m², with plaza," which indicates the plaza is registered together with this building.
- Where is the best place to view the Environmental Imaging Building?
- From the south side of the plaza, in front of the Industrial Acoustics Building, looking north. The stepped balconies and the lounges beneath them are visible in one view.
- Can visitors go inside the Environmental Imaging Building?
- Normally no. The building is limited to students and staff, though the exterior can be viewed from outside. The School of Design's annual open day is the occasion to see inside.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kyushu Institute of Design Environmental Imaging Building (旧九州芸術工科大学環境画像棟; now School of Design Building 2) |
|---|---|
| Location | 9-1 Shiobara 4-chome, Minami-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) / Registration No. 40-0231 |
| Year Designated | Registered March 13, 2025 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 6 storeys, building area 808 m², with plaza |
| Owner | Kyushu University (National University Corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior closed to the public (exterior viewable from outside; annual open day) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 旧九州芸術工科大学環境画像棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015391
- Cultural Heritage Online: 旧九州芸術工科大学環境画像棟
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/578135
- Kyushu University School of Design: List of Ohashi Campus buildings (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/_cms_dir/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5c990403912cc6f8ce5491ef65c1fe5b.pdf
- Kyushu University School of Design: Education and Research Facilities (Japanese)
- https://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/facilities/
- Kyushu University School of Design, Geiko Global: Ohashi Campus Design
- https://www.gg.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/prospective_students/ohashi-campus-design
- Kyushu University School of Design: Open Day (Japanese)
- https://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/open-campus/
Last verified: 2026.09.30
