Saturday, September 28, 2019

Day 2619: Architecture, design, problem solving in Japan.






Obaasan: old photo, collage & digital.













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Click here for Wes Montgomery, Bumpin' on Sunset.
then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?








2GN2S = Too Good Not To Share:


Ultimate Infill:  

A 9 foot Office Building Rises in a Ginza Alley


all photos by Takumi Ota

Along one of Ginza’s many backstreets, just steps from 
Showa-dori, sat an L-shaped plot of land. 
At just a little less than 9 ft, it had remained vacant 
for the past 3 years, obscured by the shadows of the towering 
grey buildings around it. Until finally a developer stepped in.




The developer teamed up with So Teruuchi of SO&CO 
 to create one of the district’s most skinniest buildings. 
Due to the nature of the property, the architect 
was faced with several constraints: not only did 
they have to leave enough room for scaffolding 
but they couldn’t fit any heavy machinery into the plot. 
So everything had to be done by hand.




The result is a surprisingly minimal, elegant 4-story building. 
Unlike many people’s perception of a high-end and ritzy Ginza, 
the majority of backstreets are filled with drab, nondescript 
office buildings. This structure stands out like a gem. 
Titled “Ginza Tenant Building,” it was completed in early 2019.




The entrance still feels very much like walking into 
an alleyway. But once you’re inside, light pours in 
through the many windows and skylight above.




The structure houses a total of 5 individual offices 
that are separated but accessible via the stairway, 
which doubles as a light-well that feeds light 
into the nooks and crannies. 
There’s also a space behind the entrance designed 
to be used as a retail shop, along with a rooftop.




The building was designed to be leased in its entirety. 
The entire building is currently available for 1.7 million yen, 
or about $16,000 per month. Not bad for the Ginza! 














This checks a lot of my boxes. 
Interest in architecture, design, problem solving and Japan.
Hoping you might enjoy it too?













A smile for Saturday ...







4 comments:

cherril doty said...

Amazing architectural feat! Thank you for sharing.

Carrol Wolf said...

Loved this post. It is amazing what the human creative spirit can come up with.

john said...

Love what you did with the blue in this piece. You really are one talented artist! Thanks for the architecture, too. Lovely to see. :-)

Jan's Art and Musings said...

Amazing! Thanks for sharing this, Jacki.