Named after its well-known Tokyo location, this 38-story building, which quietly distinguishes itself in the skyline, is situated between the Imperial Palace Park and Tokyo Station, in the heart of the city’s office district. The Otemachi Tower is headquarters for Mizuho Bank and the five-star Aman Hotel. Rising above a nexus of five subway lines, the building’s lower levels contain a retail concourse that connect the tower to Otemachi no mori, a public park on the western perimeter of the site.
The rectilinear form of the Otemachi Tower is modulated by deep vertical and horizontal recesses. These recesses contribute to the primary views of this building from the Imperial Palace and from Tokyo Station. The horizontal reveals echo the programmatic stacking of the tower; the hotel lobby and atrium can be seen at the building’s peak.
The wall system is composed of floor to ceiling glass separated by pairs of deep, vertical fins made of cast aluminum. The outside edge of each fin has a rough cleft finish, which adds a subtly irregular texture to the even modulation of the curtain wall. As the tower wall reaches the ground, its hemline raises and lowers in order to accommodate lobby volumes, entrance canopies, and other ground level features.