There is a fairly inconspicuous elevator on the north side of the third floor of the Akarenga Terrace. The sign above the doors of the elevator, which connects the third and fifth floors, says Observation Deck Gallery Elevator. When the doors open on the fifth floor, the view opens up right before your eyes. This space was created when the Akarenga Terrace was completed as a place to enjoy the view of the Akarenga Government Office Building to the west, Kita 3-jo-dori Avenue to the east, and the Sapporo Kita 3-jo Plaza below. It is also a space where leaflets for events and exhibitions held in different towns and regions are displayed, providing information to help connect Sapporo with communities across the country. Ten years have passed since its opening, but it continues to be a place that aims to promote innovation by creating a space where different values can come together to give birth to new cultures and ideas. The name of this place is the Terrace Project.

The story of the Terrace Project goes back even further.
In the Sapporo Ekimae-dori district, where many buildings were constructed around the time of the 1972 Sapporo Olympics, the period of considering reconstruction began several years before the completion of Akarenga Terrace. With concerns that the bustling main street between Sapporo Station and Odori would lose its liveliness due to demolition and other reconstruction work, the Koshiyama Project began to take shape in the Koshiyama Building, which stood opposite the current Akarenga Terrace. The aim of this project was to create a space where people could come and go, serving as a cafe, gallery and free space, where artists, designers, urban planners and others from Sapporo could gather and share their knowledge and ideas. From conception to renovation, planning and management, everything was prepared and carried out by the project's originators and participants, and although the project only ran for six months from July to December 2013, during that time it hosted four art exhibitions and a total of 65 events. The project came to an end due to reasons such as the schedule of the demolition of the Koshiyama Building, but the following August, Akarenga Terrace was born, and the space on the fifth floor was reborn as the Terrace Project, which continues the spirit of the Koshiyama Project. The company responsible for its operation is the Sapporo Ekimae Street area management co., which was also the originator and implementer of the Koshiyama Project. Mitsui Fudosan, which had been keeping an eye on the activities of the Koshiyama Project, then approached the company about operating the Observation Deck Gallery, and the Terrace Project was named.

The aim of the Terrace Project is to “create a place and form a community in the city through town development planning and art planning”, and the three main activities are as follows.

• Holding exhibitions and events: Creating a base for providing information on community development and art.
• Promoting community activities: Creating a place where people and information gather and exchange is born.
• Providing a comfortable environment in the city center (rental management): Creating an environment that gives rise to various community development activities.

Every year, 6 to 8 exhibitions, events, workshops and other activities are held, providing a place for a diverse range of people to interact. In addition, the unique community activity, the Urban Design Club, is a program for adults that focuses on the theme of “the city.”
For example, the initiative to give the signs prohibiting bicycle parking in the city center a more attractive appearance was experimentally adopted, showing that the project also serves as a link between society and how the general public feels.

In addition, the Think School, a place for learning about art and community development, and the Think School Junior art school for students from second grade in elementary school to third grade in junior high school are also being held, helping to give shape to the thoughts of each individual.

Imamura Ikuko, who is in charge of the Terrace Project in the Management and Planning Group of the Sapporo Ekimae Dori Machizukuri, says, “It's been 10 years, so it's time to reconsider our vision for the future. We're currently thinking about a project that will enable us to share information and networks. In addition to the functions of work, shopping and eating and drinking in this area, we aim to create a place that can give birth to new urban values.”
Shibata Mie, who is also responsible for the project, says, “I think it was a pioneering effort to set up a place like this 10 years ago. The Akarenga Government Office Building will be reopened in July 2025. I would be very happy if people could enjoy the view from here and also stop by to see the art and get involved in town planning."

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), people from all over the country gathered, met and interacted on Kita 3-jo-dori Avenue. The Observation Deck Gallery Terrace Project, which looks out over this street starting from the Akarenga Government Office Building, still serves as a place of innovation. Having said that, feel free to get on the elevator on the 3rd floor of Akarenga Terrace and stop by for a visit.

Terrace Project
Kita 2-jo Nishi 4-chome 1, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Akarenga Terrace 5th floor (use the exclusive elevator from the 3rd floor)
Hours: from 11:00 to 19:00 (subject to change)
Tel.: 011-221-4366
(Click below for more information on the Terrace Project)
https://www.terracekeikaku.com/
*Japanese only