Architects: Yuko Nagayama & Associates, KUME SEKKEI Co., Tokyu Architects & Engineers
Area: 87,400 m²
Year: 2023
Photography: Daici Ano, Tomoyuki Kusunose
Interior Designers: Yuko Nagayama & Associates
Construction: Shimizu Corporation, Tokyu Construction Co. Ltd.
Client: Tokyu Corporation and Tokyu Recreation Co., Ltd.
City: Tokyo
Country: Japan
Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, designed by Yuko Nagayama & Associates along with KUME SEKKEI Co. and Tokyu Architects & Engineers, is a super high-rise entertainment complex in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district. Completed in 2023, this 48-story building spans five basement floors and includes a cinema, theater, live venue, and other facilities, with a façade featuring over 4,000 glass panels symbolizing the historic fountain that once stood in the plaza.
Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, designed by Yuko Nagayama & Associates, features a façade with over 4,000 glass panels representing the historic fountain that once stood there. This super high-rise building in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district, near Shinjuku Station, spans five basement floors and 48 stories above ground, with a total floor area of approximately 87,400 m². As Japan’s largest entertainment complex, it includes a cinema, theater, live venue, and various other functions. The design encompasses both exterior and partial interior elements.
Kabukicho, one of the world’s busiest nightlife districts, was conceived in the post-WWII private sector as an entertainment district to uplift the city’s inhabitants. The area was initially chosen for a cultural exposition, which eventually led to its conversion into Kabukicho, a unique example of private-sector initiative in Japan’s postwar reconstruction.
The design reflects Kabukicho’s history and vitality without expressing traditional skyscraper authority. The plaza once contained a fountain, symbolizing the area’s energy. This element was incorporated into the design as a tribute to Kabukicho’s dynamic spirit. Fountains, being formless and ephemeral, serve as a new symbol for the district.
The upper façade features glass with ceramic-dot patterns representing fountain spray. Ceramic-printed wave patterns and gradient-shaded arches on the glass surface symbolize water motion. The lower façade, made of cast aluminum with a lace-like pattern, incorporates traditional Japanese waveform motifs, creating a translucent exterior.
The interior design includes the first-floor passageway, entrance, lounge of the Bellustar Tokyo Hotel, and the foyer and bar of the Theater Milano-Za (sixth through ninth floors). The passageway ceiling resembles undulating waves, while the lounge windows mimic flowing water through chain-link fencing. The theater foyer walls, made of tubular aluminum pieces, evoke a fountain, providing an escape from the mundane. The design also includes artwork in collaboration with various artists, enhancing the spaces with decorative objects, paintings, photos, and original works.
The design aims to ensure Kabukicho’s enduring spirit, with the tower’s ethereal form occasionally appearing to dissolve into the clouds, symbolizing the district’s lasting vitality.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: 1 Chome-29-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan.
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
