RiverWalk Kitakyushu is a center for the high and popular arts, including two performance halls, conference facilities, Asahi Newspaper and NHK Broadcasting, and retail and enter­tain­ment venues. It also establishes a new symbol of cultural and civic pride in the city of Kitakyushu, Japan. Kitakyushu occupies an important site, an ancient crossroads that connected the islands of Japan and the continent of Asia; yet, the city, formed in 1963, itself lacked connectivity. RiverWalk Kitakyushu creates a unified identity for the city. In addition to physically linking the traditional retail district with Kokura Castle and Katsuyama Park, the project symbolically unites the city through a collection of five iconic forms representing each of its districts. The bold forms are a key component of the experience, creating a dynamic tension that adds energy and vitality to the project. In the face of tough economic times, RiverWalk Kita­kyushu was fully leased before its opening. It has also received praise from the local community and commendation from abroad, including the 2001 American Architecture Award given by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture.