Ark Corporation (CEO: Hashimoto Shinei, Fujisawa-cho, Ichinoseki-shi, Iwate Prefecture) is pleased to announce that the visitor guide signs installed at Ark Tategamori, which it operates, won a bronze award at the 58th Japan Sign Design Awards, sponsored by the Japan Sign Design Association, a public interest incorporated association.
The winning designs were an H-beam sign (manufactured as a general information board and vehicle sign) and a concrete slat sign (topos, a sign indicating a location). They were submitted to the 58th Japan Sign Design Award by Akira Kuryu + Kitagawa & Ueda Sogo Keikaku Co., Ltd. and Solitz Co., Ltd., who were responsible for the design of the Ark Tategamori facility renewal in April 2023. The Japan Sign Design Award is the only sign-related award in Japan, and this time, out of 337 entries, the design was selected as one of 33 bronze award winners. The H-beam sign was made by reusing H-beams that were used as building materials in the pigpens of Ark Co., Ltd.'s main business, pig farming, and were discarded when the pigpens were rebuilt. Similarly, the concrete slat sign was made by reusing concrete slats that were used as flooring materials in the pigpens. Based on the philosophy of "recycling" that reuses livestock waste and food leftovers, ARK Co., Ltd. has been upcycling waste materials from the dismantled pig sty that has been used since the company's founding into guide signs for visitors, thereby preserving the memories of the farm and expressing the company's philosophy of "recycling." These points were recognized in the award.
<Japan Sign Design Association (SDA) andJapan Sign Design Award (About the SDA Award
The Japan Sign Design Award, sponsored by SDA, is the only awarding program for sign design in Japan that has been running since 1966 with the aim of popularizing and raising awareness of sign design by widely promoting excellent sign design works to society. Sign design is a creative act that organizes and shapes "information to be communicated to people" in order to make the increasingly complex surrounding environment more understandable and attractive. Sign design is positioned as information that is essential for establishing communication, and its design is showing a diverse expansion. SDA's mission is to evaluate high-quality sign design through the judging of the Japan Sign Design Award, share the value and role of sign design with many people, and contribute to social activities.
<Schedule for the 58th Japan Sign Design Awards>
Submission period: Monday, April 1, 2024 to Friday, May 31, 2024 at 24:00
First screening: June 6th (Thu) - 13th (Thu), 2024 Online screening
Second round: Monday, June 24, 2024
Final and special award judging: Saturday, July 6, 2024 in Tokyo
Regional Award Judging: July 10th (Wed) - July 18th (Thu), 2024
Official announcement of the results: Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Award ceremony: Scheduled to be held in Tokyo on Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Publication on the SDA website: Early December 2024
Yearbook and panel exhibition: December 2024 -
About Akira Kuryu + Kitagawa & Ueda Architectural Planning Co., Ltd.
Akira Kuryu + Kitagawa & Ueda Sogo Keikaku Co., Ltd. is an architectural design firm founded by architect Akira Kuryu in 1979. The firm has been involved in the design of a wide variety of projects, including public facilities such as art museums and museums, university facilities, hotels, and park plans across the country, and has received many awards, including the Architectural Institute of Japan Award and the Japan Art Academy Award. In 2022, the firm was succeeded by Noriyoshi Kitagawa, and under the new structure, the firm is working on business areas centered on "cultural property preservation and utilization" and "public-private partnerships" with the theme of "prayer and play." In the project for "Ark Tategamori," which was renovated and reopened in 2023, the firm worked with various experts to consistently develop the ranch's grand master plan, facility design, web design, and package design.
・Click here for the official website of Akira Kuryu + Kitagawa & Ueda Sogo Kaikaku Co., Ltd.
