8-1: Buildings That Are Becoming More Multifunctional and Larger as Cities Grow

In my previous post, I stated that “cities are living organisms,” and since they are living organisms, cities also “grow” over time.While modern cities have their downsides—such as excessive population density and vulnerability to natural disasters—it is also true that they are places brimming with opportunities and possess the appeal to attract the talent that drives society’s vitality. In response to the increasing multifunctionality and scale of society and the economy, the cities and buildings that serve as their containers have also become more multifunctional and larger in scale.
While planned urban development is essential to prevent problems associated with the uncontrolled expansion of cities, it is also important for large-scale buildings to align with this approach to urban planning while enhancing the city’s appeal.Here, as examples, we highlight Izumi Garden, Shibuya Hikarie (Joint Design Supervision: Tokyu Design Consultants), and Queen's Square Yokohama (Joint Design Supervision: Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei), to illustrate the kinds of urban architecture that are possible.

In Roppongi, a city planning decision to promote redevelopment was adopted in 1994 (Heisei 6), prompted by the construction of a new station (Roppongi-itchome Station) on the newly opened Namboku Subway Line. This city planning decision played a major role in the creation of Izumi Garden.
Izumi Garden The project was directly connected to the new station and played a key role in revitalizing the entire surrounding area with urban appeal. With a site area of 2.4 hectares,the development takes advantage of Roppongi’s undulating topography to bring light and greenery into the subway concourse. Upon exiting the concourse, visitors are immediately greeted by an unexpectedly light-filled space, from which they are guided along a series of terraced, lush green spaces to commercial facilities brimming with an urban atmosphere.It is an entrance space befitting a development with a total gross floor area of approximately 210,000 m².
Izumi Garden A major feature of the project is the creation of an urban “hill” with abundant greenery on the undulating terrain of Roppongi, home to embassies and hotels.At the very top of this hill stands the Tokyo branch of the Senoku Hakko-kan in Kyoto, which houses the Sumitomo Collection, while cafes and restaurants on the terraced, landscaped terraces create an urban atmosphere.Furthermore, the residences located midway up the slope are apartment buildings where residents can fully enjoy city-center living, while the office building—Izumi Garden Tower—which incorporates various pioneering technologies, served as one of the catalysts for Roppongi’s transformation into a stylish business district. In this way, by integrating the diverse functions of the neighborhood within the “hill,” the development has succeeded in enhancing the city’s appeal.

Compared to other countries, one of the defining characteristics of Japanese cities is their highly developed public transportation networks. While major transportation hubs in cities like London, Paris, and New York are scattered throughout the city, Japan’s urban transportation networks are extensive and tightly integrated, playing a significant role.A sophisticated urban transit network not only helps prevent air pollution and traffic congestion caused by automobile traffic but also creates significant potential for urban revitalization at its key nodes.

Shibuya is one such hub with this potential.In the center of a gently sloping valley-like terrain stretching approximately 1 km from east to west, the various Shibuya stations—including those on the JR Line, the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line, the Tokyu Toyoko Line, the Tokyu Inokashira Line, and the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Fukutoshin Line, and Ginza Line—run on multiple levels. However, the area also faced the challenge of complex transfers. Shibuya Hikarie To address this, a large vertical space known as the “Urban Core” was created from the underground level, establishing a barrier-free and highly convenient transfer area. The Urban Core, which draws in natural light and breezes, has become an approach space where people can comfortably visit this large building—a complex with a total floor area of 140,000 square meters that integrates a variety of functions.

Shibuya Hikarie It features the “Tokyu Theatre Orb,” a 2,000-seat theater that hosts musicals and other performances, serving as a hub for creative content befitting Shibuya’s status as a city directly connected to the world. This cultural hub, along with commercial facilities and offices, is integrated within a 182-meter-tall tower, making it a symbol of Shibuya’s development, where urban functions are highly integrated.

Shibuya is currently advancing a grand urban planning vision in which multiple large-scale developments—each featuring an “urban core” like the Shibuya Hikarie, which was completed in 2012—will further interconnect.

This approach, in which public transportation and urban development are integrated to create vibrant, highly sustainable cities through their synergistic effects, is known as TOD (Transit-Oriented Development). This urban development approach has begun to attract attention from countries overseas, particularly in regions such as China, where rapid urbanization is underway.

The Nikken Group’s origins in the concept of TOD can be traced back to the “Queen's Square Yokohama,” a large-scale mixed-use complex comprising retail facilities, offices, a hotel, and a concert hall that opened in 1997.The Queen Mall, approximately 300 meters long and running through the entire complex, serves as its central hub of activity. It is connected to the Yokohama Minatomirai Line subway station—which opened in 2004—via a dynamic atrium space known as the “Station Core.”This development marked the emergence of a project where transportation infrastructure and large-scale architecture were seamlessly integrated, creating a continuous space bathed in light all the way to the subway station.

The Minato Mirai Line connects Yokohama, Minato Mirai, and Motomachi-Chinatown, and from the time of its opening, it has been connected to Shibuya via direct through-service with the Tokyu Toyoko Line.Then, in 2013, through-service operations began between the Tokyu Toyoko Line and the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, connecting the system to the Tobu Tojo Line and the Seibu Ikebukuro Line as well.However, even with extensive regional connections, such a system is meaningless unless its terminal stations possess the appeal necessary to draw people in. Yet “Minato Mirai 21” became an urban development project with the charm to attract people.

The birth of the city of Yokohama dates back to 1859 (the 6th year of the Ansei era), when the Edo Shogunate established a foreign settlement and Yokohama Port in what was then a remote village—Yokohama—located away from Kanagawa-juku and Kanagawa Minato on the Tōkaidō.Although a checkpoint was established at the Yokohama Port to seal it off from the outside world, the area within that checkpoint is now known as “Kannai,” where many historic Western-style buildings remain and which has become one of Yokohama’s major attractions.Although Yokohama recovered from the devastation of the Great Kanto Earthquake and the war damage of World War II, it was eventually swallowed up by the rapid postwar expansion of the Tokyo metropolitan area. While the area around Yokohama Station grew to replace Kannai—where reconstruction had lagged—infrastructure development could not keep pace with population growth, leading to uncontrolled urban sprawl.In 1965, to address these urban issues, the City of Yokohama announced six major projects. One of these urban revitalization initiatives was “Minato Mirai 21 (MM21).”

The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Yokohama Shipyard, located in the waterfront area, was slated to relocate to the Kanazawa reclamation site—another major project among the “Six Major Projects.” In 1983, after the relocation was completed, construction began on the MM21 project, which aimed to create a city with a workforce of 190,000 and a resident population of 10,000 on a 186-hectare site in the waterfront area.In 1991, the Pacifico Yokohama international convention center opened; in 1993, the Yokohama Landmark Tower opened; and in 1997, the Queen's Square Yokohama opened.

The heights of these three buildings are designed to create a skyline that rises gently from the sea toward the land, and together, the three blocks form an urban landscape befitting the waterfront.In Yokohama, the view from the water has long been valued, as seen in landmarks such as the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Building and the Yokohama Customs House in Kannai. The charm of Yokohama’s rich historical depth—from the vibrant new district of MM21 to the historic atmosphere of Kannai and the Motomachi-Chinatown area—serves as the urban infrastructure that draws people to the Minatomirai Line.

This is a prime example of urban growth made possible by the people who planned, executed, and vigorously supported the city’s development in the way it should be.

(References)
Nikken Sekkei / Station-Town Integrated Development Research Group (2013), “a+u: Architecture and the City,” October 2013 Special Issue, a+u Co.
Akira Tamura (1983), “Creating the City of Yokohama: Practical Urban Development Methods,” 1983, Chuko Shinsho