Former Kyushu Institute of Design Special Image Facility: A Photography Lab at the Plaza's North-East Corner
The Former Kyushu Institute of Design Special Image Facility (旧九州芸術工科大学画像特殊施設棟, Gazō Tokushu Shisetsu-tō) is a three-storey reinforced concrete laboratory 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. The School of Design now calls it the 画像特殊棟 (Imaging Special Building).
At 275 square meters of building area it is the smallest of the five registered buildings. It occupies the north-east corner of the square plaza known as the Fry Pan and faces west across it. Hisao Koyama (香山壽夫) and the institute's Department of Environmental Design designed it as a specialist building for image engineering, with photographic studios inside.
Why the Special Image Facility Was Registered
The Special Image Facility was listed as a registered building that has become a model of design, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out its front. The entrance sits at the center, and the wall above it is recessed slightly to form a balcony. Left and right halves match, giving a small building a balanced, orderly face.
Where the two six-storey blocks enclose the plaza's north and south sides, this three-storey building holds down a corner at a lower height. Its frame is exposed concrete, and like the other four buildings it meets the plaza at second-floor level. Seen from the plaza, the recess marks the entrance, and the balcony above it carries the building's center line upward.
Next door to the south stands the Special Acoustic Facility. According to the Agency, its elevation is this building's front reversed, and the two sit symmetrically on either side of a linking corridor to form the east side of the plaza.
Inside the Special Image Facility
The School of Design's facilities guide describes the building as a laboratory for film and photography. The second floor holds two photographic studios with lighting equipment, used for coursework and students' own projects in photography and moving images. One of the Agency's photographs shows this second-floor studio.
The studios do more than host photo shoots. Students screen their films there and test projection mapping and interactive installations. On the ground floor a darkroom lets them shoot on film and develop it themselves, alongside the digital work. Built in 1970 to house photographic studios, the Former Kyushu Institute of Design Special Image Facility still teaches photography and film today.
The building was renovated in 2019.
Visiting the Special Image Facility
The Special Image Facility is an active laboratory, open only to students and staff. The School of Design's English site notes that the concrete forms of the classroom buildings can be viewed from outside. Stand on the west side of the plaza and look east to see the recessed balcony and symmetrical front together with the Special Acoustic Facility beside it.
The studios can be seen only during the School of Design's annual open day, held in June in 2024, 2025 and 2026. 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 Special Image Facility?
- A three-storey reinforced concrete laboratory for image engineering, with photographic studios, completed in 1970 on Kyushu University's Ohashi Campus in Fukuoka City. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 13, 2025.
- What is distinctive about the Special Image Facility's exterior?
- A symmetrical front with a central entrance and a shallow recessed balcony above it, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs praises as well balanced.
- How does the Special Image Facility relate to the Special Acoustic Facility?
- The Special Acoustic Facility's elevation is a mirror image of this building. The two stand symmetrically on either side of a linking corridor and form the plaza's east side.
- What is the Special Image Facility used for today?
- As the School of Design's imaging lab: two photographic studios on the second floor and a film-developing space on the ground floor serve photography and film courses.
- Can visitors go inside the Special Image Facility?
- Normally no; it is limited to students and staff, but the exterior can be seen from outside. The School of Design's annual open day is the chance to see inside.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kyushu Institute of Design Special Image Facility (旧九州芸術工科大学画像特殊施設棟; now 画像特殊棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 9-1 Shiobara 4-chome, Minami-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) / Registration No. 40-0233 |
| Year Designated | Registered March 13, 2025 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 3 storeys, building area 275 m² |
| 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画像特殊施設棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015393
- Cultural Heritage Online: 旧九州芸術工科大学画像特殊施設棟
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/544607
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 旧九州芸術工科大学音響特殊施設棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015394
- 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
