The role of the town hall is changing. Instead of
functioning simply as a public space, the town hall is now expected to serve as
a center for new kinds of activities. This is especially true in communities
that have begun to show signs of decline, amid concerns about declining birth
rates, aging populations, and the weakening social fabric in local
neighborhoods. In such communities, a town hall should be more than a center
for public services where people gather only when they need to attend to their
affairs. It should be a place that offers something new and stimulating to
residents. It should provide a sense of joy and richness in everyday life, and
if possible become a place to make people proud of their community. In growing
communities, it should be a place where new traditions can be built up.
As part of the process of modernization, town halls with
similar programs and stereotyped designs were built in every region, differing
only in scale. But today there is renewed awareness of historical differences
between the social
environments of different regions and of regional traditions and cultures. More thought is being devoted to
protecting and fostering distinctive
local cultures and environments. To enable this, the architecture of a
town hall should convey to residents a sense of the traditions of their region and be a familiar
source of pride. It should be
a hall for that town only, different from halls in other towns.
In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, a
town hall should also be a vehicle for conveying prompt and accurate
information to residents, and if necessary be available as a safe refuge.
A recent requirement for architecture of all kinds, and
especially public architecture, is sustainability. But rather than being a model of how green
architecture can satisfy various environmental conditions, a town hall needs
leeway. In a sense, it should be tough architecture than can thrive on
punishment. Sustainability is not a goal but a precondition.
You are invited to submit proposals taking the above into
consideration, choosing the scale and location freely. We look forward to
entries that imagine a specific regional environment and a town hall that
participates in the life of that region.
