A stylishly beautiful plant, defying the image of a waste disposal facility, with a captivating open space.
The Hiroshima City Environmental Bureau Naka Plant is a waste-to-energy plant located in Naka-ku, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. It's a facility that seamlessly blends functionality as a waste processing plant with the aesthetic beauty of an art museum. Designed by world-renowned architect Yoshiyuki Taniguchi, the plant features an open, glass-walled atrium called "Ecorium," where visitors can observe the waste processing stages. The Ecorium is a stylish space that completely breaks away from the conventional image of a waste disposal facility. The beautifully displayed processing plants might even remind you of a space station in a science fiction movie. Trees are planted indoors, creating a clean and serene atmosphere, complementing the metallic equipment. This facility was built as part of the "Hiroshima 2045: A City of Peace and Creativity" project, initiated by the city of Hiroshima in 1995, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing, which aimed at improving social infrastructure with excellent designs. The design was handled by Taniguchi Architectural Design Laboratory (Yoshiyuki Taniguchi), and the signage was designed by Tamotsu Yagi. The plant incorporates the north-south urban axis of Hiroshima City, which runs through the Peace Memorial Park, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Cenotaph, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The building is situated at the end of Yoshishima-dori, a street that serves as the entry road for waste transport vehicles, continuing from the Peace Memorial Park. The building has the waste transport vehicle road on the first floor, and above that, the "Ecorium," an atrium-style observation space. From there, you can access a deck offering a sea view. The surrounding area boasts parks and a waterside community space, providing a relaxing environment beyond just the plant tour. As a featured location in the movie "Drive My Car", this is a noteworthy spot that may inspire reflection on environmental issues through witnessing the waste processing procedures.