Dear Ginza building, Tokyo Located in Tokyo, Japan, this is one office that even passers-by will stop to take a notice. And, that was the intention anyway. The building site is on the Ginza 1-chome Gaslight Street, which is one street behind the Ginza Central Street. The builder wanted to attract as many people as possible into the street, and the design team from the Amano Design office aimed to include a “slight feeling of strangeness” to it. And the result is the Dear Ginza building that has a crumpled looking façade. As the outside scenery is not favourable and interesting, obtaining openness with glass was decided to be futile. So, a double skin structure was employed, consisting of glass curtain walls and graphically treated aluminium punched metal. The façade becomes a part of the interior decoration and obviates the need for window treatments such as blinds or curtains. By using a double skin, air conditioning load and the glass cleaning burden was also reduced. The abstract flower graphic is used to balance the impression of the façade, to free it up from becoming too edgy. Although individual aluminium punched panels with irregular angles and shapes are used, they all fit into a standard size, resulting in excellent material yield. The coloured LED upper lighting, which is installed inside the double skin, entertains onlookers with different programs depending on the season.
Exposed RCC roofs bring an interesting, rugged juxtaposition to the energetic, informal décor on the wall.
In the neighbourhood of mostly modernist architecture with horizontal, vertical or geometric shapes, the Dear Ginza building has a feeling of strangeness, attracts special attention, and has an appeal as a commercial building.
The lounge and café have been visually integrated with the reception to create a stunning first impression. Photo Credits: Nacasa & Partners Inc.
74 Home Review November 2016