Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku

Japan Commercial Environmental Design Association (JCD) Review

Shopping buildings all over the world resemble each other. They end up being alike since they are constructed with the economic interest of increasing tenants’ fees in mind. However, the Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku overruled the typology of shopping buildings by making an unconventional use of its economic interest. It hastily skipped over the first and second floors occupied by global brands and located its main entrance on the third floor. Above this, there is a wooded area on its roof with Starbucks, usually a road-facing café on the first floor, attracting visitors to the rooftop. The iconic and daring design of the building soundly deconstructs the conventional relation of the road to the building and escapes the economic rationale of a shopping mall. It is a monumental project with a spatial design that boldly challenges the fundamental spatial principles of the mall.

Architectural design: NAP / Hiroshi Nakamura + TAKENAKA Co.
Award: JCD Design Award2013 Grand Prize, NIKKEI Award (Greening), 2013 Asia Pacific Shopping Center Awards Gold Prize, Good Lighting Award 2012, JIA selection