Koban Police Station: You Have the Right to Remain Happy
April 18th, 2012
When you think of police stations, you’d probably picture a plain building with a standard sign looking all hostile and foreboding, wherever it may be. And just when you think you know what to expect from a police station, out (or in?) comes the Koban Police Station – looking bright, sunny, colorful, and cheerful.
There’s no question that the Koban Police Station looks a bit out of place in Kumamoto, Japan, but it’s as cheery as police stations get. It’s a light and airy building topped off by a roof covered with Swiss cheese-like holes, backed with soothing pastel colors.
Its bright appearance could fool anyone. You could tell a would-be criminal that he’s walking into a daycare and he wouldn’t be any wiser until the officers put the cuffs on him inside.
The Koban Police Station was envisioned by architect Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture.
[via Knstrct]
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Calling it the Koban police station is about as misleading as you can get. It’s called a “Koban.” And it is simply a police box. They are everywhere in Japan. This one just happens to be in Kumamoto. 99% of Kobans are simply plain, unattractive, brown brick buildings.