New Compelling building in Omotesando, not even inaugurated yet! maybe a Toyo Ito one? 商店建築

I was going for a walk in Omotesando and suddenly the Building Site was unveiled. Here in Tokyo in the construction of a new building they wrap the whole scaffold thus nobody can see inside the construction site. It is maybe a rule or just a Japanese civilization tenet as  bothering the others is highly disapproved. In fact wrapping the building means mitigate noises, dust and other inconveniences.

This Spot was wrapped for a while, and since it is next to the Toyo Ito’s Tods flaghsip store, I recall it easily. The Safety guard at the site did not know who is the designer and neither I. I suspect is Ito himself (since the other one has the facade made by concrete also, as you can see on the right part of this picture), but Who knows? Sooner it will be published on some Japanase architecture’s magazine. In particular the one that refers to shops surely will point it ou ( it is called …shoutenkennchiku).

The frieze are slender since the lines of the concrete have been realized as if they were composing a musical Instrument, which is the key to read this work (the good man at the site told me)

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OFF – topic:

just a little notes here belowSometimes something good happen in Italy also, hence I would like to publicize this list of works of valuable under 50 Italian architects (Iotti Pavarani) in this link.

Pacific Palace Square on Masuzaka パシフィックスクエア宮益坂上 Wakabayashi Hiroyuki (若林広幸) an odd one?

You can find this commercial building near the ONU’s site , in the Aoyama douri, toward Shibuya.

From the other side of the road it looks all black but “if you look closer , it is an office building of the 10 -story one -story reinforced concrete basement wall has been finished with a circular mosaic tile”.

If you look a little closer , from the scramble of stairs and outer wall surface , can be seen traces of post- construction also . It can be seen from the overburden of tile state in which payment of the entrance stairs like cover the existing wall . Only opening in the corner is showing the depth of the tile in the fixtures .

Passage toward stairs , to the entrance hall outside stairs , to the basement from the left are lined up . Wall stood up has risen vertically up to 10 floor changes to surface while twisting up . Lighting fixtures and light up green space in a vertical list appears on the left side of the external stairs .

Rescue entrance is installed in the 7 layer portion to 9 floors 3 to slit surface is build . As can be can be used as a third floor balcony ? Glass railing was fitted . Bed joint indicating the layer 10 minutes ( round mosaic tile minutes ) is put on the wall .

Glass door which is mounted according to the circular opening irregular can be seen on the first floor store . In appearance , such as the entire opening that was dug out on the wall reminiscent of a contemporary Art Nouveau , you would feel uncomfortable in the horizontal marquee and glass wall that is fixed to the sash frame.

Mr. Wakabayashi has a series of respectable projects in his career, here the link. Another link with some pictures of his works, including a train! It happens that is exactly the

train that scares my child!!!

He was unlucky as Toyo Ito has designed the building in Ginza district for Mikimoto called Mikimoto, which is most remarkable of this one, fairly saying it.

Still he should be a good architecture professor at Seian University,

All the information above were coming from this japanese blog, where I also took datas about the TBS big hat and the gallery pictures below. Without his blog I could not find anything about this Pacific Palace Square on Masuzaka.

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ビッグハット Tokyo Broadcasting System Akasaka, 株式会社東京放送ホールディングス (Kabushiki-gaisha Tōkyō Hōsō Hōrudingusu)

Since I encounter some giants who bring to the avidity to know more about them、sometimes I write diverting from the strict beauty.

It is the case of this kolossal skyscraper with a sort of U.F.O on his head. (I lately discovered the building is called big hat, guess why…ビッグハット)

The picture can’t say it, it is so wide and impressive that seems the equivalent of Godzilla in this quite nice area of Tokyo, which is Akasaka. The ticket booth at fore seems from might be for a show at the near the Bitz.

It was completed in 1994, according to the english wikipedia voice. 　It really is what it says. It is homebase of 34 tv channel and dozen of radio station.

I have not found yet who is the designer, and maybe there is not a firm but a team of engineers under a big company.　Just because this particular function you may want to have look of the history of the japanese television here starting from year 1994.

I found few information about it, Here the more completed ones.

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Even if it is in japanese, take a look of this blog. So far it is the most completed page about Tokyo’s architectural famous spot.

Eventually I found the project is by Nihon Sekkei Inc according to the Architectural Map of Tokyo (nr.2) by ToTo.

Ritz theatre in Akasaka

The hexagon, Akasaka, Maeda Architects, 2007

  For those who have already seen the Prada flaghsip store in Omotesando, projected by Herzog de Meuron , I imagine many among architecture’s addicted as you are, this is just another variation on the theme. From that perspective even a poor one, but that is a zenith, even though the paragon is humbling this is still something worth watching. It needs to be considered in this specific environment, while the Prada boutique needs to compete with the top firms, over there in Omotesando (here below a shot from flickr…)

 

Facade are not straight in both ways.

It has been built in 2007.

My guess is that this a bit a difficult investment since it is plenty of room for loan.

Maeda seems to me more than an Architect firm, a company’s builder, investor name, if this website corrisponds to them. They have office in different countries hence this is just a little thing by their view.

 

 

 

Here they rent you a fllor if you wish.

Here a blog with a nice shot.

Others view from different angles, and the back side

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Software Knowledge Incorporated Co.,Ltd. SKI Buildng、Matsuda Hirada Ltd (松田平田)

After the yesterday job interview I walked through an Area I have never been before.

From Akasaka Mitsuke towards Tameike Sanno on the main large road, this building stands out for his beauty. It is worth saying that many others interesting buildings are in the surrounding. This one

combines the simplicity with the sophisticated effect.

It is located at the end of Akasaka douri (“doori” stays for street, or main street).

From the firm’s website I discover another interesting group of people who work on great projects of whom  I was unaware.

They come from Oosaka, and they are hiring in case you are interested!

Here the direct link to this work (ソフトウエア情報開発本社ビル). It says they also win athe 2010 award for the interiour’s design disposition (日本建築家協会優秀建築選
インテリアプランニングアワード – here the link to the prize annaul list). It has been completed in August 2009.

Ten floors for 3.181 square metres.

From my picture’s gallery below some details of the real facade are visible. I would not rather say other things then.  Just my congratulations  for the company’s choice, the Software Knowledge Incorporated, to hire those guys for building their “home”.

Their techincal description reports that

The facade of the building, and the design of the mesh in adopting a unit curtain wall Low-E pair glass embedded, is used to tilt 45 degrees curtain wall. I was planning and that the unit curtain wall of 1,700 × 1,700 mm, built-in natural ventilation system, installed LED lighting in the intersection, enhance the identity of the building at night.

Also it obviously uses a seismic isolation structure to ensure the safety of the head office building since we are in Japan!

Eventually I found mr. Akira Miahara (宮原 亮) who claims of having overseen the design process from this website.

These are the seismic specialists who collaborated to the project.

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