The Urayasu Steel Complex is a concentration of factories in the Tokyo suburbs, developed by reclamation in line with the high economic growth period. In recent years, due to changes in its location and industrial structure, the manufacturing town is being transformed into a logistics hub for the city centre.
This project utilizes the green belt where large logistics warehouses appear according to the Greening Ordinance, reweaving the relationship between the sea, land and human activities in the inorganic harbour industrial park. The project thereby aims to construct an organic and rich new story and landscape.
The “Street Garden” creates a warm expression in the industrial estate through soft planting. The “Four Seasons Garden” is a human-scale circular garden with colourful plantings, creating a park-like gathering place. The “bus waiting area”, which doubles as a gate, is composed of a cave-like volume made from excavated material and a large-spanning roof that could only be realized using advancements of the structural steel industry, evoking memories of the land and the client's steel business. The framing of the cave volume and the large roof with mirrored ceiling amplify the colours of the four seasons and the development of the town, while the uneven volume creates various semi-outdoor rest areas. The “Sea Garden” is a unique feature and offers a pleasant view with tropical plants that are resistant to sea breezes in order to bring back the rich waterfront that used to be the front of Tokyo. The rest terrace, with its large overhang over Tokyo Bay, is a place to experience the original comfort of the seaside area.
The green belt connecting the logistics warehouses and the town reorganizes the story and landscape of the sea, land and people's activities, creating an experience and appearance that symbolizes the place. It shows what the future should look like as a rich and organic gathering place for the harbour industrial park.