Photography:Kawasumi Photo Studio

As the originating point of the five major Nihonbashi routes, large stores have traditionally lined this area. This building, located in the bustling, lively town of Nihonbashi, is a mixed tenant building for commercial and office use.
Whilst inheriting the historic flavor of Nihonbashi, as a building for the future Nihonbashi, the design for the entire building is constructed using one simple technique following the concept of "lining up" a single element. The exterior is comprised on single stick shaped elements formed of granite, pre-cast concrete and aluminum, with variations in width, pitch and aperture to create shading, allowing the building to reveal the controlled townscape of the past Nihonbashi with its 31m skyline and the bustle of the lower level commercial areas. Water jet finishing was used on the granite surface to highlight the grain of the stone while smaller sections were polished to a reflective surface to emphasize the edges and complete a graphical and abstract expression.