Vol.2
International Stadium Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefectur
- A huge stadium wrapped in a veil of sweet sound -
International Stadium Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
A magnificent stadium able to accommodate 70,000 spectators.
The landscape around this concrete athletic sanctuary is aesthetically enhanced with trees.
A specially designed soundscape for the stadium makes the vicinity cozy and pleasant.
Visitors may feel as if softly whispering fairies were flitting about.
Rhythmical performances are given every fifteen minutes at the plaza in front of the back stands. Music comes from the speakers installed behind the top and bottom of the mesh art work towering high above the plaza, the water patterns emitting from the fountain changing in pace with the rhythm.
The stereophonic sound, which echoes through the plaza, is a prologue to a festive sports event which is about to begin.
The stadium is such a huge concrete mass that you cannot take in the whole image in just one glance.
Overwhelmed by its incredible scale, you will hear a fascinating sound coming from somewhere within the structure.
"What is the source of this music?"
As you walk further enjoying this unexpected music, you will find a joyful plaza, adorned with a fountain and artistic objects, lying before the stands.
Apleasant ensemble of waterworks and sound is found here. The fountain in the center of the plaza rhythmically creates varying patterns of water, accompanied by enchanting music enveloping the objects of art.
You may witness the following scene: Charmed by this amicable ensemble, a child rushes to the
fountain to take a closer look and someone shouts:
"Be careful, don't' get splashed! It's cold today!"
International Stadium Yokohama is a seven-story structure with a seating capacity of 70,000, making it Japan's largest modern outdoor comprehensive sports facility. Located at the basin of the Tsurumi River near Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR Shin-kansen Line, the stadium is expected to serve as a core facility of the riverside leisure zone for the residents of Yokohama. In the vicinity, large scale construction projects are underway. The stadium is carefully designed with due consideration to harmony with nearby park facilities as well as to comfort for visitors; its surroundings are flavored with background sounds which change over time and across the seasons. It is more than a place for sports.
The stadium has been the venue for big sports events such as the Soccer Dynasty Cup Japan-Korea match, the Kirin Cup Japan-Czech match, the National Athletic Meet autumn session track-and-field events and the Emperor's Cup Soccer tournament. During the first year since its opening, a lot of exciting and thrilling events have taken place here. In the coming few years, another memorable, spectacular competition will be added to the list of sports events which have already been held at the stadium -- World Cup Soccer in 2002.
International Stadium Yokohama has been elected as one of the venues for World Cup Soccer in 2002 to be jointly hosted by two East Asian countries separated by a channel: Japan and Korea. Many spectators and enthusiastic supporters from around the world will visit the stadium to watch the competition.
In addition, hundreds of millions of people will watch the gamesheld here on television. It is interesting to imagine how visitors will feel when they encounter the unique sound which welcomes them.
Even if the stadium becomes a place which many athletes have a longing for, it will remain as a familiar relaxing sanctuary for the residents of Yokohama.
CHIYODA Corporation undertook the responsibilities of producer, handling administrative aspects, and XEBEC Corporation played the role of director of the sound design for the stadium's surroundings.
Aprominent environmental music composer Hiroshi Yoshimura and Inoyamaland, a music group, compiled the music under the
supervision of sound designer Hirotaka Ito.
TOA's systems have provided integrated support for the entire process of sound environment design.
TOA has delivered the PA equipment, matrix systems and system control units for the stadium. Furthermore, we have introduced a low-volume multiple speaker system by installing approximately 200 speakers inside the building's support beams. These speakers are centrally controlled from the disaster prevention center so that in emergencies, they can be used to guide people to safety.