Artiql, which operates the circular city transition platform “Circular Yokohama” in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Route Design LLC, which operates the creator coworking space “PILE,” announced that their joint body, the Creative Circular City Collective, opened a new circular culture creation hub called “Sta.R” (Station R) on August 24, in cooperation with the City of Yokohama, Sagami Railway Co., Ltd., Sotetsu Urban Create Co., Ltd., and Sotetsu Building Management Co., Ltd.
What Is the Circular Culture Creation Hub “Sta.R”?
Sta.R (Station R) is a circular culture creation hub based on the concept of Creativity, Circularity, and Culture, created inside Hoshikawa Station on the Sotetsu Main Line in Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama. The hub is positioned as one of the creative district hubs that the City of Yokohama is developing as part of its creative city policy, and it is the first such hub outside the city’s central waterfront area.
Background to the Hub’s Opening
As various environmental and social issues become increasingly apparent, including the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and conflicts over resource constraints, Yokohama, a major consumption hub with a population of approximately 3.7 million, is being called on to shift toward a circular city rooted in more sustainable lifestyles at the cultural level, beyond industry and technological innovation. At the same time, the creativity held by each individual citizen, community connections, and art that brings new perspectives to people are major driving forces for change in addressing these complex, intertwined challenges and realizing a more sustainable urban future. With this in mind, the Creative Circular City Collective set out a vision of a “Creative Circular City” at the intersection of a creative city and a circular city, aiming to build a culture in which every person and every resource is valued as each person involved in Yokohama uses their own creativity to spread kindness and excitement throughout the city. Sta.R was opened as a hub that embodies this concept.
The name “Sta.R (Station R)” reflects a wish to redefine the value of a station, using “R” (Respect, Repair, Remake, Recycle, and more) as a symbol of circularity, from a highly convenient passing point into a lively destination full of conviviality, and to create a place that, like the “star” in Hoshikawa’s name, shines a light on the creativity held by each and every citizen.
Three Features of Sta.R
Sta.R permanently houses three facilities: the “Material Library,” which gathers local waste materials and circular materials; “Я gallery,” a gallery where visitors can view and exhibit artworks on the theme of circularity; and “Re:store,” a shop featuring local circular goods, items, and artworks. Going forward, Sta.R will also hold talk events, school programs, workshops where visitors can enjoy upcycling and repairing waste materials, art festivals, and more, themed around circularity, sustainability, culture and the arts, design, and creativity.
Material Library
Material Library is a library of materials that gathers circular materials such as local waste and bio based or recycled materials. It collects unique materials that can be used for upcycling, craft projects, independent research, and more. Through encounters with materials that blur the line between waste and resources and spark creative inspiration, Material Library generates a new circulation of resources and excitement within the community.
Я gallery
Я gallery is a gallery that offers perspectives for “rethinking things,” such as Rethink, Research, Respond, React, and Reveal, in contrast to the practice of the “R” that generates circularity championed by Material Library, such as Reuse, Remake, Recycle, Respect, and Regenerate. The reversed “R,” written as “Я,” carries the meaning of looking anew at existing values, social systems, and relationships with materials, and discovering new possibilities. Realizing a circular society requires not only actually circulating resources but also questioning the ideas and values that underlie them. Through art, design, and research, Я gallery will develop programs that critically examine existing concepts and generate new perspectives and dialogue in society.
Re:store
Re:store carries circular goods, upcycled products, and artworks made in various areas, primarily within the city of Yokohama. It offers creative items that make it easy and enjoyable to bring a circular lifestyle into everyday life.
Comments on the Opening of Sta.R
Artiql Inc. Representative: Yu Kato
I am very glad that we have been able to open ‘Sta.R’ together with everyone at Route Design, who have been creating a new creative scene in Yokohama based at ‘PILE’ in Tennocho, with the support of many people including the City of Yokohama and Sagami Railway. In order to realize a circular society in which every resource and every person is valued, I have long felt that what matters is each person’s creativity to change their perspective and use what already exists to move reality in a better direction, places where diverse people can meet and rediscover each other’s value, and the power of a culture in which these values spread beyond economic rationality. In that sense, Sta.R, built on the concept of creativity, circularity, and culture, is truly a place that embodies the future we want to realize. Going forward, I am really looking forward to working together with everyone, both inside and outside the region, to create places, communities, and a city where people and people, people and nature, and the present and the future are connected through art and upcycling, and where kindness and excitement continue to circulate.
Route Design LLC Representative: Yoshio Tsuda
It was in 2023 that we launched the creator coworking space ‘PILE’ on the Tennocho Station side of Seiten qlay. Since opening, artists and creators centered in Yokohama have gathered there, and through their daily trial and error, numerous creative projects and communities have been nurtured.
This time, together with everyone at Artiql, we have realized a new facility, ‘Sta.R,’ at the neighboring Hoshikawa Station, featuring ‘Material Library,’ where visitors can encounter materials and products that stimulate creativity, and ‘Я gallery,’ which showcases works and ideas. I feel that this has added the new meaning of a fresh flow of creativity to the line connecting these two stations.
We hope that PILE and Sta.R will not only become a source of new forms of expression and encounters for creators, but will also grow into a ‘departure and arrival point of creativity’ that brings new perspectives and discoveries into the daily lives of local residents through encounters with materials, products, and art.
Ondesign Partners Co., Ltd. Representative: Osamu Nishida
Sta.R, located along the Sotetsu Line’s Seiten qlay, which connects Yokohama’s coastal area with its inland area, is a hub for thinking about the circular society of the future. This place, named a station, is a mixed use facility that encompasses and puts into practice exchange, learning, exhibition, production, and encounters alike. I want to work together to build the future of Sta.R, a crossing point that unravels the circulation of society, connects Yokohama’s coast and suburbs, and sparks new creation.
Details
Sta.R official website: https://stationr.yokohama/ (in Japanese)
[Related page] City of Yokohama (in Japanese)
[Related page] PR Times (in Japanese)