TOKYO.Projects 33. Forest Plaza Omotesando Tokyo, Japan Tadao Ando apartment. The Egg of the winds. 13 Tokyo, Japan.

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1 TOKYO Projects 33 Created 15-Jul-14 By pedro ivan ramos martin, valladolid, Spain Forest Plaza Omotesando Tokyo, Tadao Ando apartment Dior Omotesando Louis Vuitton Omotesando Waketokuyama Dentsu Head Office ADK Shochiku Square National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Yoyogi National Stadium 7 Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates museum Bulgari Ginza Tower 14 ESQ Hiroo 15 Suntory Museum of Art 16 Tokyo Dome Hotel 17 Tokyo, Kenzo Tange 8 Nakagin Capsule Tower 18 Tokyo, Kisho Kurokawa housing 9 Sunny Hills 19 Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates shop 10 Shibuya Tokyo, Minoru Takeyama shopping centre 11 Tokyo, Kenzo Tange olympic stadium Nezu Museum Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates gallery Tokyo, Kenzo Tange government 6 Tokyo, Yoshiro Taniguchi museum 13 Tokyo, Noriyuki Taijima office Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates office 5 Tokyo, Kenzo Tange office The Egg of the winds Tokyo, Antonio Citterio restaurant, shop Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates restaurant 4 Tokyo, Jun Aoki shop Tokyo, Toyo Ito pavilion Tokyo, SANAA commercial space, shop 3 Shinjuku Park Tower 21 Tokyo, Kenzo Tange hotel, mixed-use development, office 12 Opaque Ginza 22 Tokyo, Kazuyo Sejima shop 1

2 One Omotesando Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates office, shop National Art Center Tiffany Ginza National Museum of Western Art Shibuya Station Extension St Mary's Cathedral Mikimoto Ginza 2 30 Carina Store 31 De Beers Ginza Tower 32 Tokyo, Jun Mitsui Associates commercial space, mixed-use development, office 26 Maison Hermès 33 Tokyo, Renzo Piano office, shop, workshop Design Sight 34 Tokyo, Tadao Ando gallery, museum 28 Tokyo, Kenzo Tange church 25 Tokyo, Tadao Ando subway station Dentsu Tower Tokyo, SANAA shop Tokyo, Le Corbusier museum 24 Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates shop Tokyo, Jean Nouvel office Tokyo, Kisho Kurokawa exposition space, museum 23 Tod's Omotesando Building 35 Tokyo, Toyo Ito office, retail, shop 29 Tokyo, Toyo Ito shop 2

3 Forest Plaza Omotesando Jingumae Tokyo Tadao Ando has created spaces filled with light and greenery: quiet, relaxed settings for the most highly evolved urban lifestyles The building is located behind the Omotesando Hills shopping center The exterior walls of architectural concrete, the pebbled floorsthe geometrically composed spaces of concrete modules that describe a beautiful grid, touched with elegance and beauty in the light The exterior might seem inorganic at first glance, but as people live there and greenery grows, it begins to radiate a carefree life-force Tadao Ando 3

4 photo: Frankss photo: Viditocho Dior Omotesando Omotesando Street Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo Omotesando Street is an avenue in Tokyo and home to many upscale shops featuring several international brand outlets Hence, the street is sometimes referred to as 'Tokyo's Champs-Élysées' On this prime location, ese architect duo Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, known collectively as SANAA, has designed the building that accommodates a store for fashion retailer Dior The building is gift-wrapped in a translucent skin that allows the building underneath to show through The effect is achieved by using clear glass on the outside and a second displaced layer of translucent acrylic on the inside 2003 Client SANAA Dior viditocho photo: Viditocho Daily from The exact address is: Jingumae , Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture

5 Louis Vuitton Omotesando Jingumae Tokyo Louis Vuitton Omotesando is a store building 255 meters in width, 208 meters in depth and 319 meters in height, made up of rectangular parallelepiped units stacked in an irregular pile The structure, located in interstitial spaces 30 centimeters deep and 37 centimeters high between the rectangular parallelepiped units, is a non-uniform cage with few vertically aligned columns The columns and beams are all made from wide-flange steel members 20 centimeters by 20 centimeters in cross-section The exterior finish consists of two types of metal mesh, polished stainless panels or two layers of glass ornamented with patterns LV Hall on the seventh floor has a triple-height ceiling and is wrapped in a three-layered screen of metal mesh, glass and white lace embroidered with white ribbons Jun Aoki 5

6 Waketokuyama Minami Azabu Tokyo The screen-like facade turns out to be cinder block-colored bricks set on end in a blackened steel frame A meter back is the entry courtyard and the stark glass box of the restaurant, which feels suspended in the thick forest behind it Floor area/size m² Kengo Kuma & Associates 6

7 Dentsu Head Office Tsukiji Tokyo New headquaters complex of the Dentsu Corporation in the Tsukiji District of Tokyo was designed by Kenzo Tange The complex was characterized by an enormous space lattice: numerous rectangular cores soaring up and lifting gigantic horizontal trusses of similar formation, interconnecting in the air 1967 Kenzo Tange 7

8 ADK Shochiku Square Tsukiji Tokyo Although remaining in continuity with ese traditions with the clarity of structural solutions, implied tectonics, and importance of light and transparency, Kengo Kuma does not restrain himself to the banal and superficial use of 'light' materials Instead, he goes much deeper, extending to the mechanisms of composition to expand the possibilities of materiality He utilizes technological advancements which can challenge unexpected materials, such as stone, into providing the same sense of lightness and softness as glass or wood Kuma attempts to attain a sense of spatial immateriality as a consequence of the 'particulate nature' of the light and establishing a relationship between a space and the natural round around it Floor area/size m² Kengo Kuma & Associates 8

9 National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo Kitanomarukoen Tokyo The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT) is the foremost museum collecting and exhibiting contemporary ese art The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, was the first National Museum of Art in and dates back to 1952, when it was established as an institution governed by the Ministry of Education The architect of the building was Kunio Maekawa On two later occasions, neighbouring premises were purchased and the Museum was further enlarged The most recent re-design of MOMAT was conceived by Yoshiro Taniguchi (father of Yoshio Taniguchi who designed the extension of MOMA in New York) 1969 Yoshiro Taniguchi 9

10 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Nishishinjuku Tokyo The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole Located in Shinjuku, the building consists of a complex of three structures, each taking up a city block The tallest and most prominent of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor The building also has three levels below ground The design of the building Kenzo Tange, has many symbolic touches, most notably the aforementioned split which re-creates the look of a Gothic cathedral The building held the title of the tallest building in Tokyo, at 243 meters from 1991 to late 2006, when it surrendered its title upon the completion of Midtown Tower 1991 Kenzo Tange 10

11 photo: Tokyotravels Yoyogi National Stadium Jinnan Tokyo Yoyogi National Stadium is an arena in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, which is famous for its suspension roof design It was designed by Kenzo Tange and built between 1961 and 1964 to house swimming and diving events in the 1964 Summer Olympics A separate annex was used for the basketball competition at those same games It will also host handball competitions at the 2020 Summer OlympicsThe design inspired Frei Otto's arena designs for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich The arena holds 13,291 people and is now primarily used for ice hockey, futsal and basketball Images of the arena are regularly featured at the end of NHK Newsline broadcasts because the NHK World studios are adjacent to the arena along the edge of Yoyogi Park Kenzo Tange 11

12 Nezu Museum Minamiaoyama Tokyo "I wanted to create a huge roof", says Kengo Kuma of the new Nezu Museum, designed to house the collection of wealthy ese industrialist Kaichiro Nezu on a lusciously pastoral site in the Aoyama district of Tokyo The big, minimally articulated roof is a Kuma signature His Hiroshige Ando Museum (AR October 2001) was just a huge shed clad in cedar slats, but it had a powerful lyricism Kuma's roofs are abstractions of traditional ese architecture, in which overhanging eaves shelter and shade, subtly blurring the boundary between inside and out The new museum provides six gallery spaces, four more than the previous building Each gallery is devoted to a different artistic or craft discipline and works are displayed in simple glass cabinets Kuma's sober new galleries provide an ascetically neutral backdrop so the collection can shine Kengo Kuma & Associates 12

13 The Egg of the winds Tsukuda Tokyo Ito proposed a kind of "Building of Tomorrow", a "video gallery oudoors" There are two versions of this, one in Brussels and the other in the ese suburb of River City 21 in Tokyo It is a structure of a oval geometry -a recurring form in their designs at the time, contrasting with right-angled parallelepiped volumes of its surrounding This capsule is attached to a wall, suspended from the floor by metal legs, and gives the impression of floating in the air, especially from a small public space located on the mezzanine Using a coating similar to that of the Tower of Winds, this 16 x 8 m ellipsoid is covered with a perforated aluminum plate below which liquid crystal screens displayed pictures and news While in operation, the effect is very interesting: the images appeared as if they were floating on a curved surface, almost like a hologram, very different from the effect of the giant screens hung on the facades of buildings photo: Yanai Takahiro 1991 Toyo Ito 13

14 Bulgari Ginza Tower Ginza Tokyo Built to look like a huge jewellery box, the Bulgari Tower, the largest of the company's shops in the world, comes not only with jewellery, watches and bags but also Bulgari's first restaurant and bar in The double-level eating and drinking space is accessible by direct elevators from street level and has full glass façades, which gives great views over the Ginza There's a rooftop garden open between April and October 2006 Antonio Citterio 14

15 ESQ Hiroo Minami-azabu Tokyo Eight-story commercial tower, located near fashionable district Nishi-azabu From ground to roof, the fols of band create spaces, and social activities occur within these spaces Freestanding steel columns complete the structural system 2007 Main designer, Noriyuki Taijima Nobouyuki Nomura Tele Design 15

16 Suntory Museum of Art Akasaka Tokyo The exterior of the building is covered with vertical louvers made of white ceramic panels, giving the building a transparent feeling Because ceramic panels are rather weak they are usually thickened, or cast into concrete for enhanced strength, making them appear heavy and dull a far cry from the delicate imagery of a tea bowl The development of a new method of reinforcing thin ceramic panels with aluminum extrusion made it possible to use extra-fine edges in the details The interior finishes are wood and traditional "washi" (ese paper) which create a natural warmth while admitting a soft light 2007 Kengo Kuma & Associates 16

17 Tokyo Dome Hotel Koraku Tokyo The Tokyo Dome Hotel is designed to harmonize with Tokyo Dome City, where the hotel is located, and become the City's second symbol, following the Tokyo Dome Hotel design incorporates the following three factors: gate, flow and contact 1999 Kenzo Tange 17

18 photo: Kisho Kurokawa Nakagin Capsule Tower Ginza Tokyo The Nakagin Capsule Tower is the world's first capsule architecture built for actual use Capsule architecture design, establishment of the capsule as room and insertion of the capsule into a mega-structure, expresses its contemporaneousness with other works of liberated architecture from the later 1960's, in particular England's Archigram Group, France's Paul Memon, and Yona Friedman The Nakagin Capsule Tower takes on the challenge of the issue of whether mass production can express a diverse new quality The Tower also strives to establish a space for the individual as a criticism to the that modernized without undergoing any establishment of an "self" Kurokawa developed the technology to install the capsule units into a concrete core with only 4 high-tension bolts, as well as making the units detachable and replaceable The capsule is designed to accommodate the individual as either an apartment or studio space, and by connecting units can also accommodate a family Floor area/size m² Kisho Kurokawa 18

19 photo: Daici Ano photo: Daici Ano Sunny Hills Minamiaoyama Tokyo This shop, specialized in selling pineapple cake (popular sweet in Taiwan), is in the shape of a bamboo basket It is built on a joint system called "Jiigoku-Gumi", traditional method used in ese wooden architecture (often observed in Shoji: vertical and cross pieces in the same width are entwined in each other to form a muntin grid) Normally the two pieces intersect in two dimensions, but here they are combined in 30 degrees in 3 dimensions (or in cubic), which came into a structure like a cloud With this idea, the section size of each wood piece was reduced to as thin as 60mm 60mm As the building is located in middle of the residential area in Aoyama, we wanted to give some soft and subtle atmosphere to it, which is completely different from a concrete box We expect that the street and the architecture could be in good chemistry Floor area/size m² Kengo Kuma & Associates 19

20 photo: Minoru Takeyama Shibuya 109 Dogenzaka Tokyo 109 is a department store in Shibuya The building, located just across the street from Shibuya Station, opened in April 1979 The architect was Minoru Takeyama Tokyu, the building's operator, designed the building as a "Fashion Community" containing small retail stores targeting the early-30s female consumer It was then sold to the Miura group Tokyu intended the store to compete with Seibu Department Stores, which was making inroads into the Shibuya area The name of the building, 109, is a form of word play (goroawase, specifically numerical substitution) and is taken from the ese characters to (meaning 10) and kyo (9) as in Tokyo The interior of the building is designed to move shoppers in a loop on each floor from the elevators past various shops A movie theater was originally planned for the top floor, but the fire department would not grant approval due to emergency-evacuation routes not meeting appropriate standards 1977 Minoru Takeyama 20

21 Shinjuku Park Tower Nishishinjuku Tokyo The Shinjuku Park Tower is the second-tallest building in Shinjuku, Tokyo It was designed by Kenzo Tange and completed in 1994 Shinjuku Park T tall with 52 storeys, C tower which is 209 m tall with 47 storeys and N tower which is 182 m tall with 41 storeys Floors 1 to 8 are occupied by retail stores, floors 9 to 37 are office floors and floors 39 to 52 are occupied by the luxury Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel, which was featured in the film Lost In Translation 1994 Kenzo Tange 21

22 photo: Nacása & Partners Opaque Ginza Ginza Tokyo The Opaque Ginza fashion store in Ginza, which sells womens fashion, cosmetics in a department store format also features a salon and restaurant The Opaque building has a very distinctive facade which was designed by Kazuyo Sejima in 1998 Floor area/size m² Main designer, Kazuyo Sejima SANAA 22

23 One Omotesando Kitaaoyama Tokyo The project is the head office building of a fashion group that stands at the entrance to Omotesando, often called the most beautiful avenue in Tokyo Omotesando is a picturesque boulevard lined on both sides with huge zelkova trees that leads to Meiji Shrine, the largest Shinto shrine in Tokyo My aim was to make these trees resonate and not conflict with the building We created a mullion; 45 cm deep with laminated wood made of larch supporting the curtain wall The stems would resonate with the lumber and the vertical lines of mullions would resonate with vertical lines of the trees The wooden mullion also resonates with Meiji Shrine's wooden architecture The mullion contributes to energy conservation by shielding the interior from direct sunlight and mitigates the greenhouse effect by fixing carbon dioxide production Although 's Building Standard Law prohibits the use of wood on the exterior walls of buildings in large urban areas we were able to obtain special permission Kengo Kuma & Associates photo: Wiiii 23

24 photo: Frankss photo: Frankss National Art Center Roppongi, Minato-ku Tokyo The National Art Center in Tokyo was designed in a collaborative project between the architect Kisho Kurokawa and Nihon Sekkei, Inc It was built on the former site of the Institute of Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo over a period of nearly four years, from July 2002 to May 2006, with factors such as the environment and earthquake safety in mind The National Art Center is a unique and innovative art exhibition facility: Instead of maintaining a permanent collection, it makes the most of a total of 14,000 square meters of exhibition space, the largest in, and focuses on serving as a venue for various art exhibitions Floor area/size m² Associate architect Kisho Kurokawa Nihon Sekkei Naomi photo: Thomas Brown Exhibitions organized by The National Art Center, Tokyo or co-organized with other institutions: Mo, Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun: 10:00-18:00 Friday: 10;00-20:00 Tuesday: closed Artist associations' exhibitions: Mo, Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun: 10:00 am 6:00 pm (visitors must enter by 5:30 pm) Tuesday: Closed Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line: Nogizaka Station, Exit 6 is directly linked to the Center Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line: Roppongi Station, 5-minute walk from Exit 4a Toei Oedo Subway Line: Roppongi Station, 4-minute walk from Exit

25 Tiffany Ginza Ginza Tokyo Prominently located on a broad boulevard in Ginza, the city's high-end shopping district, the new store fills the base of an aging, nine-story office building acquired by the New York retailer for its Tokyo headquarters "We wanted this building to visually represent Tiffany in," explains Michael Crist, president of Tiffany & Co, Adding fresh sparkle and luster to the tarnished structure, Kuma's proposal for a new facade plus an interior renovation won the heart of Tiffany's competition jury Both client and architect wanted to front the street with a uniform elevation, though the store itself only occupies the bottom three floors of the building The first level targets the young, trendy shopper, the second aims at the big spender, and the third hosts a customer-service area in addition to a salon Tenant office space occupies the remaining floors above Inspired by Tiffany's signature diamond setting, in which the cut stone is lifted from the ring Kengo Kuma & Associates photo: Kengo Kuma & Associates 25

26 National Museum of Western Art Uenokoen Tokyo wwwnmwagojp/en/? The National Museum of Western Art is the premier public art gallery in specializing in art from the Western tradition The Museum is located in the museum and zoo complex in Ueno Park in Taito, central Tokyo The museum is square in plan with the main body of the galleries raised on piloti to first floor level The layout is influenced by Le Corbusier's Sanskar Kendra museum in Ahmedabad which was being designed at the same time Entrance for visitors is at ground floor level via the 19th Century Hall This double height space is lit from above with a north glazed pyramidal skylight intersected with reinforced concrete beams and a column On the opposite side of the hall from the entrance, the ascent to the paintings gallery is via a promenade ramp which affords better views of Rodin's sculptures Le Corbusier 26

27 photo: Christian Beirle González photo: Christian Beirle González Shibuya Station Extension Shibuya 24-1 Shibuya Nichome Tokyo Tadao Ando's Shibuya Station Extension is composed of two prime gestures: an elliptical shell with the span of 256x79 feet, and the connection of that shell to elements of Tokyo's underground station network such as escalators, passages and tunnels, thus making it an integral part of Tokyo's transportation system Tadao Ando's new Shibuya Station extension is all about making travel fun again: "A station should be a place where visitors think "I was glad to come to this station" or?that station was fascinating","ando says, as he examines the three-story atrium of the nearly completed building Ando's design is based on what he calls a "chichusen", or underground spaceship Commuters board the buried flying saucer near the top of the atrium and are carried down to the tracks at its base "Because this station has an atrium from top to bottom, you can easily see where you are it gives you a sense of security," Ando says photo: Christian Beirle González 2008 Tadao Ando christian_02 Shibuya Subway Station - access Fukutoshin, Ginza or Hanzomon Line 27

28 photo: Christian Beirle González photo: Christian Beirle González St Mary's Cathedral Sekiguchi Bunkyo-ku Tokyo St Mary's Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo It is located in the Sekiguchi neighbourhood of Bunkyo, Tokyo, The original structure of 1899 was a wooden building in the Gothic style It was burned during World War II The present church, designed by Tange Kenzo, dates from 1964 Kenzo Tange won the competition for the reconstruction of this church in 1961 It was built with assistance from Wilhelm Schlombs, architect to the Archdiocese of Cologne, the engineer Yoshikatsu Tsuboi, who worked with Tange on many of his projects and the Zurich architect Max Lechner photo: Christian Beirle González Floor area/size m² Structural engineer Kenzo Tange Yoshikatsu Tsuboi christian_02 Nearby subway-station Gokokuji (600m) 28

29 photo: Frankss Mikimoto Ginza 2 Chuo-Ku Ginza Tokyo This boutique store is part of the Mikimoto family, one of the most famous names in ese jewellery with a history dating back to 1899 While the main Mikimoto shop is dedicated to high-end jewels, this store focuses on casual fashion baubles and accessories Ito was inspired by the mysteriousness of a jewellery box and imagining bubbles around pearls and floating petals The building also features a lounge and an atrium, which serves as both an exhibition hall and as an area for seminars for women Painted in a subtly sparkling mica-laced pale pink, the four walls are a marvel of engineering Each comprises two 56 m tall steel sheets; manufactured in sections, welded together on-site, and installed barely 20 cm apart With concrete poured between, the steel is strong enough to support the 9 stories Floor area/size m² Main designer, Interior architect Structural engineer Contractor Lighting designer Client Toyo Ito Ichiro Nishiwaki Design Office SSC Sasaki Structural Consultants Taisei Corporation Ushio Spax Co K Mikimoto & Co Ltd Franks Daily 11:00-19:00 Restaurant is open until 2300 Mikimoto is in Ginza (obviously) Take the southern exit (A13) at the Ginza Itchome metro station Walk to the end of the first block and the building should be around the corner 29

30 Dentsu Tower Higashishinbashi Tokyo The building houses the corporate offices of Dentsu 48 floors rise to m, it is the eleventh-tallest building in Tokyo and second-tallest in Shiodome It was designed by Jean Nouvel and completed in 2002 It was built over the site of Tokyo's first train station, and sits aside the Hamarikyu Gardens, formerly the site of a Shogun's vacation home The Dentsu building is an example of contemporary architecture, featuring collectors on the roof to utilize rainwater for its plumbing system, as well as ceramic dots on the windows which, in concert with computerized window shades, control climate control expediture The Dentsu building has 70 elevators, including a special elevator reserved only for VIPs and executive management 2002 Main designer, Jean Nouvel Jerde Partnership International Obayashi Corporation 30

31 photo: Frankss photo: Frankss Carina Store Minami-Aoyama, Minato-Ku Tokyo php Carina is a children's and mother's clothing store, designed by Kazuyo Sejima The shop is wrapped in two façades The inner façade is made up of a steel structure and large glass windows The outer façade is made out of white expanded metal, similar to the weaves that were used for the New Museum at the Bowery in New York The outer façade covers up almost the complete building, except for the entrance door and one window on the second floor This is a daring approach as it provides an introspective look at first glance But, as in many recent architecture in Tokyo, the shop comes to life when you take a closer look and even more so when dusk falls over the city SANAA Franks photo: Frankss 11:00-19:00 hr (Tue-Fri), 12:00-19:00 (Sat), 12:00-18:00 (Sun) Take Omotesando station, leave it at exit A5 and walk in eastern direction Then take the first street to your right Take the second street to the left The store is then next to the Aveda building 31

32 photo: Jun Mitsui Associates photo: Jun Mitsui Associates De Beers Ginza Tower Chuo-ku, Ginza Tokyo Ginza is one of the most famous commercial districts even in the world Marronnier Street is a gracious, active street lined with creatively designed buildings The DE BEERS Ginza Building design is intended to reflect the sophisticated Ginza streetscape and fit appropriately into this dynamic context The fluid and flexible form of the building was also inspired by the beauty of the female outline The sparkling light on the surface of the gently curved form of the building subtly suggests the shimmering reflection of diamond The expression of the curtain wall varies continuously as it ascends and as it reflects the ever-changing appearance of the sky The exterior surface of the building reflects the sunlight and Ginza city lights in a subtle way and the impression of the façade as time passes On the exterior of the building, specially-finished stainless steel pipes are horizontally laid-out creating sparkles of of light throughout the surface of the building photo: Jun Mitsui Associates Floor area/size m² Client Jun Mitsui Associates De Beers Quentin_Seik Monday - Saturday: 11:00-8:00 h Sunday and National Holidays: 11:00-7:00 h 32

33 photo: Thom Mckenzie Maison Hermès Ginza Tokyo Maison Hermès, Tokyo, by Renzo Piano is the corporate headquarters and retail store for Hermès The program includes offices, workshops, retail and exhibition spaces, multimedia areas and a roof garden The building also includes access to the subway via a courtyard which divides the long façade in two It is an elegant, glowing, rectangular form which has been carefully crafted from specially designed 45cm x 45cm glass blocks which give the impression of the building as a precious object containing equally precious objects Renzo Piano stated that the building was inspired by traditional ese lanterns The thickness of the glass façade blurs the activity within during the day and at night the building glows from the light within whilst simultaneously providing acoustic insulation from the bustling Ginza streets outside Clear glass boxes become display cases for Hermès products at street level Floor area/size m² Client Renzo Piano Hermès thom photo: Thom Mckenzie Monday - Sunday: / Wednesday: closed Take the Hibiya, Marunouchi or Ginza line to Ginza subway station in central Tokyo 33

34 photo: Frankss photo: Frankss Design Sight Akasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo The building is a low-rise structure consisting of one ground floor and one underground floor Because this building, consisting of the café wing and the museum wing, was designed to be public open space within the district plan area, the limitations on the building area and the sun shadow control were very severe As a result, less than 600 square meters are above ground The building has a unique form featuring a roof made from giant steel plates that slope gently down to the ground Once inside, the space opens out on a scale unimaginable given the building's unobtrusive exterior The ground floor houses the entrance and reception area, while the underground floor houses two galleries and a triangular sunken court Highlighting Issey Miyake's concept in clothing design of "A Piece of Cloth," Ando devised the idea for the roof as one sheet of folded steel The building incorporates the longest sheet of double-glazed glass in photo: Frankss Floor area/size m² General consultant Client Tadao Ando Takenaka Corporation Mitsui Fudosan Co, Ltd Franks Daily Closed on Tuesdays Entrance fee 1,000 Take exit 3 at the Nogizaka station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Walk towards the Garden of the Tokyo Midtown complex via a path lined with grass and trees After 200m the museum is on your left 34

35 photo: Frankss photo: Frankss Tod's Omotesando Building Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo Toyo Ito s Tod s Omotesando Building is a slender, L-shaped building for the Italian footwear retailer, it contains offices and a boutique fronting Omotesando, Tokyo s famous four-lane, tree-lined boulevard that in recent years has become the city s showplace for luxury brands and top architects The seven-storey building continues Ito's exploration of ideas of surface, the dramatic structure mimicking the shapes of the tall elm trees that stretch along Omotesando Avenue and reinterprets them in its façade as a series of crisscrossing geometric forms The façade is a smooth blend of concrete and glass and materials are kept simple The structural frame that supports the building is well concealed Inside, opaque glass hides the rear view so that shoppers are drawn to the front of the store where they play an important role in animating the building (text from RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2006 award) Floor area/size m² Technical engineer Lighting designer Structural engineer Contractor Client Toyo Ito ES Associates Lightdesign Inc Oak Structural Design Office Takenaka Corporation Holpaf BV MI_MOA photo: Luis Villa del Campo tel