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Tokyo Plaza Omotesando Project, sometimes referred to as TPOP, was designed by Japanese architect Hiroshi Nakamura. Located at one of the busiest crossroads in the Harajuku shopping district, it offers visitors a full range of attractions, including high-end shopping and a rooftop respite that Nakamura refers to as the “roof-forest.”
There is a duality in the building, inspired by Japanese tradition, that offers shoppers both views of the busy Omotesando avenue as well as a feeling of isolation from the intense Tokyo pace. Shoppers can access the upper levels of the building via the largest streetside stairwell, a kaleidoscopic entrance that acts as a magnet to draw passers-by into the space. The wall surrounding the staircase is a practice of impactful, faceted geometry, made entirely of triangular-shaped mirrors that refract light.
The so-called roof-forest is presented as a green island, with 34 trees and over 50 different kinds of plants. The space offers peace for visitors, allowing them to temporarily forget their dense, urban setting. The rooftop park is even equipped with technological systems to purify the air. In regards to the design, “Nakamura’s intention is to augment the consumers’ experience of desire and seduce them with a building that also has cultural value.”
This post originally appeared on Architizer, an Atlantic partner site.
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