TOD’S Omotesando Building
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan · 2004
Photo · Photo by Nacasa & Partners Inc.
An interior precedent showing how a structural, tree-like concrete envelope can define interior circulation and frame dynamic urban views, integrating structure and facade into a single spatial experience.
- What we like about this project
- The way the timber stair treads precisely follow the faceted, non-orthogonal geometry of the interior partitions.
Materials
- concrete
- timber
- glass
- stainless-steel
Visual identifiers
- branching-structure
- irregular-windows
- timber-staircase
- concrete-envelope
- metal-handrails
Style tags
- biomimetic
- structural-expressionism
- contemporary
- japanese-modernism
Visual tags
- organic-structure
- circulation
- urban-view
- structural-skin
- tokyo
- retail-interior
- Geometry
- The space is defined by a structural concrete perimeter wall with organic, branching, tree-like openings that form irregular, non-orthogonal windows. A central staircase with timber treads and landings winds through the volume, flanked by faceted geometric partitions and thin metal handrails.
- Facade system
- Structural concrete load-bearing wall with integrated, custom-shaped glazing units.
- Structural guess
- Load-bearing reinforced concrete exterior wall acting as a structural tube with integrated glazing.
- Spatial scale
- A multi-level interior circulation zone with human-scaled stair flights and landings integrated within a larger commercial envelope.
- Lighting
- Diffused daylight enters through the large, irregular structural openings, casting soft shadows on the timber stairs and concrete walls.
- Atmosphere
- A bright, structurally expressive interior where the boundary between architecture and the city is blurred by organic voids.
- Environmental context
- An urban street intersection in Tokyo is visible through the structural glazing, showing pedestrian crossings, roads, and neighboring buildings.
- Spatial experience
- Descending the stairs offers dynamic, shifting views of the Tokyo streetscape through the branching structural apertures. The heavy, solid concrete envelope is dematerialized by the irregular voids, creating a complex interplay of light, shadow, and urban connection.
- Composition rhythm
- The diagonal lines of the stair handrails contrast with the organic, branching diagonals of the concrete structural openings.
- Style reading
- Structural expressionism with organic, biomimetic geometry
- Program
- High-end retail flagship
- Perspective
- Interior Spatial
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- concrete, timber, glass, stainless-steel
- Visual identifiers
- branching-structure, irregular-windows, timber-staircase, concrete-envelope, metal-handrails
- Style tags
- biomimetic, structural-expressionism, contemporary, japanese-modernism
- Visual tags
- organic-structure, circulation, urban-view, structural-skin, tokyo, retail-interior
- Geometry
- The space is defined by a structural concrete perimeter wall with organic, branching, tree-like openings that form irregular, non-orthogonal windows. A central staircase with timber treads and landings winds through the volume, flanked by faceted geometric partitions and thin metal handrails.
- Facade system
- Structural concrete load-bearing wall with integrated, custom-shaped glazing units.
- Structural guess
- Load-bearing reinforced concrete exterior wall acting as a structural tube with integrated glazing.
- Spatial scale
- A multi-level interior circulation zone with human-scaled stair flights and landings integrated within a larger commercial envelope.
- Lighting
- Diffused daylight enters through the large, irregular structural openings, casting soft shadows on the timber stairs and concrete walls.
- Atmosphere
- A bright, structurally expressive interior where the boundary between architecture and the city is blurred by organic voids.
- Environmental context
- An urban street intersection in Tokyo is visible through the structural glazing, showing pedestrian crossings, roads, and neighboring buildings.
- Spatial experience
- Descending the stairs offers dynamic, shifting views of the Tokyo streetscape through the branching structural apertures. The heavy, solid concrete envelope is dematerialized by the irregular voids, creating a complex interplay of light, shadow, and urban connection.
- Composition rhythm
- The diagonal lines of the stair handrails contrast with the organic, branching diagonals of the concrete structural openings.
- Style reading
- Structural expressionism with organic, biomimetic geometry
- Program
- High-end retail flagship
- Perspective
- Interior Spatial
- Discipline
- architecture