Heatherwick Studio‘s first project in Japan features the redevelopment of the Toranomon-Azabudai district of Tokyo. The studio has conceptualised the entire public realm and several lower podium blocks for the development, which in its entirety will span eight hectares and feature buildings by Mori Building Company, as well as skyscrapers by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (including one that is set to become the tallest building in Japan.) What’s more, the interiors of the retail spaces will be designed by Sou Fujimoto.
Speaking about the design, Founder Thomas Heatherwick said, “As many new developments around the world can be harsh and sterile we wondered if we could provide a more human-centred alternative by integrating surprisingly intense quantities of planting and greenery. As a way of combining an architectural construction system with significant amounts of nature we developed the idea of a garden pergola scaled up to district size. This concept has allowed us to bring an overarching logic to an eight-hectare piece of Tokyo whilst also making space for facilities such as housing, shops, hotels, spas, a school and a temple within the sections framed by the grid.”
In order to create a distinctive identity for the district, Neil Hubbard, Group Leader at Heatherwick Studio explained that the design reflects the juxtaposition of scale and character of Tokyo’s buildings, that draw the eye upwards. “Set within a natural valley, we have chosen to accentuate that topography through our design, creating an undulating arrangement that uses a pergola-like structural system to create a variety of landscape spaces, from hidden gardens to sunken courtyards,” he elaborated.
