Architects: Toyo Ito & Associates
Area: 43 m²
Year: 1986
Photographs: Tomio Ohashi, Toyo Ito and Associates, Colb, Wakiiii
City: Yokohama
Country: Japan
The Tower of Winds, designed by Toyo Ito in Yokohama, Japan, embodies his vision of integrating technology into architecture and urban life. This 21-meter cylindrical structure, clad in perforated aluminum panels, serves as a water tank atop an underground mall. By day, its reflective surface mirrors the city, while at night, it becomes a dynamic light installation. Powered by computers monitoring wind and noise, 1,300 lamps, 12 neon rings, and 30 floodlights create an ever-changing display that responds to environmental conditions. Recognized with the 1987 Edwin Guth Memorial Award of Excellence, the Tower of Winds transforms a functional structure into a landmark, blending nature, technology, and architecture seamlessly.
The Tower of Winds exemplifies Toyo Ito’s architectural philosophy, particularly his emphasis on the importance of technology and its critical role in the future of architecture. This project not only incorporates technology into a dialogue with the city but also creates a direct symbolic connection between nature and the installation.
During the day, the Tower of Winds, clad in perforated aluminum panels, reflects the city through its reflective surfaces that envelop the steel core, creating a humble yet intricate relationship with its surroundings. At night, the tower adopts a more dynamic role, converting sound and wind into light. Two computers monitor variations in wind and noise levels, activating 1,300 lamps, 12 neon rings, and 30 floodlights at the base to create an ever-changing visual display.
The tower is in a constant state of transformation, with its small lamps changing colors in response to surrounding sounds and its neon rings rippling with the city’s winds. As a result, there is no fixed pattern; instead, the 21-meter-high cylindrical surface displays a dynamic and direct representation of the environment.
The project functions as a technological sculpture, greeting travelers arriving at Yokohama’s railway station, while also housing water tanks for air conditioning machinery serving the underground mall beneath it. Toyo Ito establishes a seamless connection between technology, architecture, the city, and its inhabitants, highlighting the city’s profound impact on humanity and the essential role of technology in architecture.
Toyo Ito received the 1987 Edwin Guth Memorial Award of Excellence from America’s Illumination Engineering Society for this project, recognized for its tribute to cosmopolitanism. He was commissioned for the project after winning a competition, where his success was attributed to his ability to transform a purely technical structure into an iconic landmark for the city.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: 1 Chome-1-13 Kitasaiwai, Nishi Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, 220-0005, Japan (Yokohama Station West Exit Plaza)
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
