Shibuya Upper West project designs by Snøhetta architecture firm have been unveiled. The 164.8 meters tall skyscraper is envisioned as “a haven of serenity and relaxation among the hustle of the metropolis.” Furthermore, the building is the studio’s largest project in Tokyo and Japan at large. It features shops, apartments, a five-star hotel, and spaces for artistic and cultural activities.
Snøhetta’s design seeks to connect the bustling Shibuya retail district and the more sedate Shoto neighborhood. This will be achieved by occupying the location of the defunct Tokyu department store in between the two neighborhoods of Shibuya and Shoto. Shibuya Upper West “aspires to become Tokyo’s newest ‘urban retreat,’ nestled at the edge of Shibuya where dynamism meets quiet,” according to the studio.
The design overview
The 117,000 square meters of mixed-use development, according to the firm, was influenced by both Tokyo’s past and present. The building’s ceramic facade tries to honor a traditional Japanese building method. Furthermore, the terraced steps rising from the ground are meant to honor the distant foothills of Mount Fuji.
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The studio claimed that “the city of Tokyo exists in a duality of nowness and time-honored heritage.” A city of contrasts and juxtapositions, with conflicting qualities that work well together. The Shibuya Upper West project, therefore, aims to embody all of this while conceiving a new vision for Tokyo’s famed and energetic Shibuya neighborhood. The latter is well-known for its throngs of people, large screens, and the Shibuya Crossing in front of the Shibuya Station Hachik.
Expectations for the Shibuya Upper West Project
The Shibuya Upper West skyscraper is expected to be finished in 2027. It will be centered around a 164.8-meter-tall high rise with planted nooks and angled geometric shapes. Additionally, floor-to-ceiling windows will surround the first two storeys of the horizontal volume. They will extend to the side of the tower, while the higher levels will be home to a big outdoor screen. Moreover, it will have a multi-level manicured roof garden on top of it.
The remaining portion of the skyscraper will have an inclined peak. It will be covered in alternating layers of glass and blue-tinted cladding. The development’s centerpiece will be an atrium called The Hive. Additionally, a more tranquil area called The Sanctuary will feature green roof terraces where guests may unwind.
The Shibuya Upper West Project will be developed in collaboration with the neighboring Bunkamara cultural complex, an artistic and cultural hub in Tokyo. Snøhetta is the design architect and Nikken Sekkei Ltd and Tokyu Architects & Engineers INC are together the executive architect.
