Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center (兵庫県立淡路夢舞台国際会議場)

The international conference centre is one of the facilities of Awaji Yumebutai, built on the site from which the earth used to fill in the Kansai International Airport island had been quarried. It belongs to the Awaji Island International Park City promoted by Hyōgo Prefecture, the client for the centre. Tadao Ando's practice designed it; the contractor Ōbayashi (大林組) built it with two other firms. First named the Hyōgo Prefectural Awaji International Conference Center, it was completed in December 1999 and served as a venue of the flower exposition Japan Flora 2000 in March 2000. It received the BCS Prize in 2001.

The centre is built in reinforced concrete and steel-reinforced concrete, with one basement level and four levels above ground, for 14,775 m² of floor area and a capacity of 2,500 people. It faces the sea and is one with the surrounding forest and mountains. Outside, the walls are bare concrete and natural stone, and the roof is covered with locally made Awaji tiles; like the neighbouring hotel, the centre has a green roof and green walls. Inside, the walls are mostly bare concrete, combined with timber finishes. A path through the forest, then a gallery crossing a pond, leads to a tea room where participants can rest after their meetings.

There are many bare concrete surfaces, inside and out: the quality of their finish and the reduction of shrinkage cracks were the main difficulty of the works. The contractor answered with a concrete mix that stays fluid with little water.

The centre hosts international and academic conferences, as well as training sessions, seminars and ceremonies.

The conference centre is seen from the outside. Around it, the observation terraces and gardens of Awaji Yumebutai are open free of charge from 7 am to 10 pm, every day.