Membrane structure installed in the event space of the roadside station “Benihana no Sato Okegawa

(Tokyo headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Osaka headquarters: Yodogawa-ku, Osaka; President: Yumi Nomura; hereafter “Taiyo Kogyo”), a company involved in large-scale membrane structures (tent structures), civil engineering and logistics materials, has constructed a shed for an event space at the roadside station “Benihana no Sato Okegawa,” which will open on March 27 (Thursday), 2025. The shed was constructed for the event space at the roadside station “Benihanosato Okegawa” (Okegawa, Saitama), which will open on March 27, 2025. This shed is a membrane roof over the event space designed based on the Michi no Eki concept of “Tsunagu, Tsunagu, Tsunagu” (connect, connect, connect). In addition to events, it was designed to support disaster relief efforts, such as the accumulation of relief supplies in the event of a disaster.

Roadside Station “Benihanosato Okegawa” is the first roadside station in Okegawa City, located along the National Route 17 Bypass (Ageo Road). Located less than 1 km from the Okegawa-Kitamoto Interchange on the Ken-O Expressway (Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway), the roadside station will welcome many visitors from within and outside of the prefecture as a roadside station subject to the “social experiment (temporary exit) to solve the shortage of rest facilities on expressways.

The shed of the event space completed at the roadside station was designed in the shape of a safflower, the symbol of Okegawa City. A lightweight, open membrane roof was used to reproduce the three-dimensional shape of the benihana flower. The membrane material is thin, lightweight, and earthquake resistant. The white PVC membrane material is characterized by its high stain resistance, which maintains its white appearance for a long period of time as organic dirt is decomposed and washed away by rainwater due to the performance of the titanium oxide photocatalyst* surface treatment.
*Titanium oxide photocatalyst: Absorbs sunlight (ultraviolet rays) to oxidize and decompose organic matter. Therefore, when sunlight hits the titanium dioxide photocatalyst film material, it decomposes organic stains. In addition, titanium dioxide photocatalyst has a hydrophilic function, and water droplets spread horizontally to form a water film. Therefore, rainwater enters between the surface of the membrane material and the dirt, lifts up the dirt, and washes away the dirt with rain.

We collaborated with Taiyo Kogyo Co., Ltd. to design this event space for a roadside station in line with the concept of “Connecting, Connecting, Connecting. The roof is polygonal in shape, inspired by the outline of “benihana,” and the membrane roof’s translucency and lightness are utilized to create a bright space that connects to the entire building. At night, the membrane roof is illuminated in orange to create a “benihana” effect. As the designer, I hope that through the “Benihana no Sato Okegawa” roadside station, the entire city of Okegawa will become more lively.

Location: 4324-1 Kawadaya, Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture
Area: 2.9 ha

Property name: In Road Station “Benihana no Sato Okegawa”
Event space shed
Constructor: Okegawa City, Saitama Prefecture
Construction: Yamato Corporation (Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture)
Design: Yamato Corporation
Scale: 25.0.m x 25.0m x 11m (maximum height)
Construction scope: column steel frame, membrane base steel frame, membrane material, eave gutter, downspout
Membrane material: CMX220
Surface area of membrane material: 562 m2
Construction period: August – November 2024
Scope of Taiyo Kogyo’s work: design, manufacture and installation of membrane

Taiyo Kogyo is a leading manufacturer of large membrane surface structures that are economical, easy to install, translucent, and well designed. Under the corporate philosophy of “Unlocking the infinite possibilities of membranes to deliver an inspiring and comfortable environment to our customers. Under the corporate philosophy of “We will bring excitement and a comfortable environment to our customers by exploiting the infinite possibilities of membranes,” TSP Taiyo has been supporting the safety and security of society by utilizing the characteristics of light and strong materials to expand its business in various fields including construction, as symbolized by the roof of the giant dome, civil engineering, logistics, and environmental fields.
Together with group companies such as TSP Taiyo Corporation, which provides event consulting services, and ACTIO Corporation, which manages facilities, we are working to “make the world softer and the future warmer. We aim to “make the world soft and the future warm. We aim to “soften the world and warm the future.