Culture
New Azabudai Hills Unveiled Showcasing 'Green Wellness' Concept
A new development at Azabudai Hills brings exciting changes and environmental concepts to the downtown Tokyo Minato Ward, including Japan's tallest skyscraper.
On November 24, Mori Building Co opened a new building complex to the public. Located in Tokyo's central Minato Ward, it is called Azabudai Hills.
Bringing new heights to the chic district, it is designed around the concept of a "Modern Urban Village – Green and Wellness."
In practice, the design blends green space, offices, and the British School in Tokyo. There are also 1,400 residences, 150 commercial establishments, and the luxury hotel Janu Tokyo. All of this exists alongside the Keio University Center for Preventative Medicine.
Among the commercial enterprises, there is a gym and even a pet grooming salon.
To attract foreign businesspeople, there will also be a Tokyo Venture Capital Hub. Mori Building's press release reads that it is Japan's first and largest venture capital location, bringing together over 70 companies and incentives for startup development.
It is, in short, a new concept of urban space, where Tokyoites can enjoy all aspects of everyday life in one place. Mori Building calls this idea "A city within a city."
New Frontiers in Architectural Innovation
This vast development spans 8.1 hectares. It includes three high-rise buildings and boasts around 24,000 square meters (258334 sq ft) of green space. Highlighting the rest is a central plaza spanning about 6,000 square meters (64583 sq ft).
At the media preview on November 20, journalists were able to walk around the sprawling complex. A stunning view of the Tokyo skyline from the 34th floor of Mori JP Tower was included in the tour. The building has 64 floors and is 330 meters tall, making it the highest skyscraper in Japan.
A cumulative 94 stores and restaurants were already open for journalists to sample. They include shodai bio nature chocolate store, and the luxurious cafe chain HARBS. JAPAN Forward also enjoyed the mouthwatering cuisine of Tonkatsu Kawamura, a pork cutlet restaurant.
The whole Azabudai Hills complex is expected to become a favorite destination for shoppers and food lovers. From late January 2024, visitors can also enjoy an underground food market sprawling across roughly 4,000 square meters (43056 sq ft).
Attracting Interest to Japan's Capital
In the past, Mori Building President Shingo Tsuji has said that he hopes the newly unveiled Azabudai Hills will convince more people to visit Tokyo. The project is 35 years in the making. It was first conceived in 1989.
A large number of shops and retail stores in Azabudai Hills opened their doors on November 24. The remaining shops will open gradually over the coming months.
Walking around the area brought reminders of Mori Building's unique ability to create urban spaces that blend perfectly with the city.
Mori Building's new unveiling is just the last step in its prolific record of urban development. It is the company behind such major architectural projects such as Roppongi Hills, which opened to the public in 2003.
A Center for Art and Culture
In keeping with Mori Building's Roppongi Hills style, the developer has included ways to enjoy art and culture in the new complex.
There is an exhibition of sculptor Olafur Eliasson in the basement of the Garden Plaza A building. Spanning a venue of 700 square meters, and with innovative use of materials, water, and light, it is a wonder for the senses.
Eliasson's exhibition will run from November 24, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
A Reborn teamLab Borderless
Many fans will also be waiting impatiently for the opening of the new digital art museum, "EPSON teamLab Borderless," located in the basement of Garden Plaza B.
This is the exhibition developed by the art collective teamLab, which aims to create "artworks without boundaries," and "a museum without a map," according to the press release.
The museum in Odaiba was a favorite with foreign tourists, but it closed in August 2022. Changing venues, it is set to start a new life at Azabudai Hills.
On November 20, journalists got a sneak peek into two rooms in the vast venue of the new museum. The first, called "Bubble Universe", immerses visitors in an outworld whirl of color, bobbing spheres, and lights.
The art piece follows the concept of different lights, which teamLab calls "physical light, bubbles of light, wobbling light and environmental light." Visitors can look forward to a sensational interactive sensorial experience.
"I could explain in complicated terms what is going in the room, but really you should just come here, and enjoy this space," said teamLab CEO Toshiyuki Inoko.
Reporters were also guided to preview an interactive room with portrayals of waves and flowers losing petals. Future visitors can look forward to these developing artworks that continue to change and improve with time.
As a fun greeting to customers, the entrance to the museum features an optical illusion in the writing surrounding walls: if you take a picture from a specific point in the corridor, the writing "teamLab Borderless" will appear as if in 3D in the photo.
Mark your calendars: the newly revamped location is set to open in early February 2024.
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Author: Arielle Busetto
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