White Grid - Prescription for the Cityscape
A medical tenant building stands in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Restaurants and a pharmacy are located on the first and second floors, with clinics on the setback third to fifth floors. The site is a few minutes' walk from JR Ebisu Station and faces the "Ebisu Ginza shopping street." The nostalgia implied by the name has faded, and a typical cityscape of a cluttered street with competing signs spreads out. In this urban setting, the facade had to be both flexible and conspicuous as a medical building to navigate the sea of symbols in the long term.
The facade of the lower floors, which is easily focused on in the narrow streets, consists of a white grid frame and glass. The grid is a collection of "crossings": structural crossings of steel members, white crosses symbolizing medicine, and the comings and goings of users who bring new life to the space. These three crossings are embodied in a simple white grid that manifests itself in the cityscape. During the day, when the clinic is busiest, it takes on the appearance of a white cross, and the reflection of the shopping street in the glass helps to soften the inward gaze from outside. On the other hand, during the night, when the restaurants are bustling, the large glass panel framed by the grid serves as a showcase that attracts the attention of passers-by. Over time, while mediating the gaze of others, the white grid faces the cityscape.