Weaving Fresh Charm Through Small Scale Change

Of the more than 90% of office buildings in Japan leased to tenants, more than half are small to medium-sized buildings. In order to respond to the client's desire to "contribute to the growth of the city as a developer," we explored together how a small- to medium-scale tenant building can contribute to the city's attractiveness, rather than what can result from a product of economics. Kichijoji, the site of the project, is one of Tokyo’s most popular cities, with a concentration of various elements, including the greenery of Inokashira Park, bustling stores and cafes, shopping streets that support daily life, and surrounding residential areas. Kichijoji’s most attractive feature is its "depth" in terms of time and experience, which can be experienced by walking through its alleys and buildings. Kichijoji’s depth is incorporated into the design of the PLAFUS building in a number of ways. Its approach draws in the liveliness of the streets with a passage extending to the rear of the site, while its facade creates a multilayered streetscape by visualizing depth through the eaves and side walls. Lastly, its green roof terrace adds three-dimensional depth. The project incorporates elements that shape Kichijoji while adding new charm. It also demonstrates a new type of urban development in which small- and medium-scale buildings play a leading role; small changes that inherit local charm go on to weave a charm of their own into the area.

Ground-level design draws local bustle into the building

The building’s entrance is not located in its center, but rather pulled into an alleyway, creating a visual connection from the alley across the street to the rear of the building. Using the full site depth in this way yields deep “folds” in the townscape with an approach that draws in the street buzz. The first floor also forms a setback facing the street, creating a new place of liveliness for the town, which is full of narrow passageways.

Facade design accentuates depth

In contrast to the depth of the street space, Kichijoji’s streetscape is relatively flat. The universal vocabulary of horizontal and vertical "lines" was elevated by visualizing the site depth, using side walls to form a three-dimensional, layered facade. Despite its distinctive appearance, it blends in with the streetscape, creating continuous depth by connecting the interior and exterior with the use of reinforced concrete eaves and a raised ceiling near the windows.

Rooftop design creates three-dimensional depth

The sky above Kichijoji is a different world of penthouses, department store rooftop plazas, futsal courts, rooftop parking lots, and other terraced areas not normally seen in a stroll around the city. The green roof terraces on the 9th and 10th floors are set back from the surrounding cityscape, creating a fresh three-dimensional depth. The fully-opening sliding sash doors allow the indoor and outdoor areas to be used contiguously, providing a special place for both the tenants and the public to enjoy the sky, wind and greenery.

Material design with depth

The use of richly textured materials such as scratched concrete, specially processed mirror glass and on-site polished terrazzo -- all hand-finished – yields a sense of depth. We sought to create a genuine sense of materiality that fits in with the town and its people, as opposed to the "shiny and new" that can be lost in the blink of an eye.

Project Details

Project Name (English): PLAFUS Kichijoji
Use: Tenant building (office and retail)
Location (prefecture, city): Musashino City, Tokyo
Site area（ｍ2): 699.45
Total floor area（ｍ2): 5199.75
Number of floors: 3 basement levels, 10 above ground, 1 penthouse level
Eave ht./Maximum height (m): 41.14/46.35
Main Structure: Steel-framed reinforced concrete (part steel, part reinforced concrete)
Completion: March 2021

Credits

Client name (English): ARAI&CO.,LTD.
Lead Architect: Nikken Sekkei Ltd
Main Scope: Architectural design and site supervision
JV, joint design, supervision, consulting, etc.: None
Construction Contractor: Maeda Corporation
Other cooperating companies: None
Photo Credit 1: SHINOZAWA Architectural Photo Office
Photo Credit 2: Nikken Sekkei Ltd (16.jpg only)