The epicentre of Tokyo’s emerging tech hub
If a train terminal and a classy cafe collided in a cool back alley emblazoned with street art, the result would be this new workplace in Shibuya, Tokyo. The client – a highly creative, multinational technology company – is entering a new phase of growth and plugging into the local for its public presence.
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The company offices are places of community that inspire and promote a sense of wellbeing and wonder. The immersive experience is deepened through mixing the functions of food, social, meeting and working, and the absence of anything resembling a desk.
The multi-storey vertical campus retains the company’s sense of community in a space that reflects the culture and context of Japan. Shibuya, home to the world’s two busiest railway stations and widely considered the heart of Tokyo’s youth culture, is a continuous flow of people, with glowing video screens and a tangible buzz. Thirty-four original artworks by local artists draw the city into the tower and help make the spaces feel genuinely Japanese.
A network of timber stairs (subtly reflecting a long tradition of craft) is the key connector: it is here – at the stair – that all of the transitions happen, giving people ample choices of settings that promote engagement and well-being.
Woods Bagot worked with local art consultant TokyoDex who commissioned 35 Tokyo-based artists to create 34 original artworks for this project. The different design theme for each floor served as inspiration for the interior design and the artwork created in each space.
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