Architectural design to meet the needs of our time

A construction boom occurred in Japan more than 50 years ago, before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Since then, demographic shifts have created a dual challenge: a growing demand for maintenance and upkeep as well as a diminishing need for new construction projects. As an architectural firm, what is your take on the current state of Japan's construction market?

After the devastation of World War II, Japan's economy rebounded and experienced significant growth during the 1950s and 60s. This economic upswing fueled numerous construction projects, including buildings, highways, and railways. Over 60 years have passed since their initial construction, and the physical durability of some of this infrastructure is now at risk.

While the structural integrity of some of this old infrastructure remains within acceptable limits, its functionality may no longer align with the evolving needs of society. This has necessitated their renovation or renewal, particularly in densely populated urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka. Although the overall volume of construction projects is decreasing, specific areas, such as renewing aging structures, continue to warrant attention.

Since the year 2000, for example, we have been actively engaged in planning the redevelopment of Shibuya Station and its surrounding areas, collaborating with relevant authorities and railway companies like Tokyu Corporation. It took over a decade for station users to see that there was work going on and that it would improve overall convenience. This extensive project is ongoing; railway restructuring is set for early 2024 completion, and Shibuya redevelopment will continue beyond 2030.

Over the past decade, we have also been engaged in discussions about renovating and redeveloping the Shinjuku area, a project that would realistically require 20 to 30 years to complete.  Due to the inherent complexity, this type of urban city redevelopment takes a long time, but we expect that similar demands will continue to generate station redevelopment projects elsewhere, too.

Beyond urban redevelopment centered around stations and mobility, evolving societal needs are generating new demands for construction. For example, growing computer and smartphone usage has resulted in a surge in the volume of data to be processed, and thus the need for data centers. The evolution of logistics and supply chains has also resulted in demand for new logistics centers. Remaining alert to evolving societal needs such as these is vital for us to meet present and future demands.

Aerial View of Redevelopment around Shibuya Station (courtesy Tokyu Corporation)

Since its founding in 1900, Nikken Sekkei's core mission has been to respond to the changing needs of society through projects. By doing so, we contribute to society and become more capable of responding to future needs. It’s an ever-evolving process.

In our early years, we drew inspiration from Western civilizations and cultures. For example, our architects and engineers took on the challenge of defining the project brief for a library that would collect and disseminate Western knowledge, as well as a bank building to support a modernizing monetary economy. While neither type of new building yet existed, the needs of the era necessitated their creation. Attention was also given to enhancing Japan’s international trading potential by reclaiming coastal land and building Osaka North Port. As society developed, steelmaking also emerged as a key industry in Japan. This, in turn, led us to contribute to the building of steel-producing plants, and to designing iconic steel structures like Tokyo Tower, Sapporo Tower, and more recently, Tokyo Skytree.

In the 1960s our portfolio diversified. The Palace Side Building in Tokyo, for example, was designed for a newspaper company headquarters, with large floor-plate offices built above basement-level printing facilities. Symbolic public buildings such as Nakano Sun Plaza combined uses for entertainment and culture. We also developed underutilized areas adjacent to Osaka Castle to create Osaka Business Park. In the transportation sector, our contributions have gone beyond ports to include developing international airports at Narita, Kansai, and Central Japan International Airport (in Aichi Prefecture).

Tokyo Midtown, situated on the former self-defense agency site in Roppongi, highlighted the importance of integrating public spaces alongside building designs. This influenced our involvement in expansive developments like those in Shibuya and Osaka.

As we respond to societal needs at select points in time, they naturally change and evolve. We don’t focus on responding to declining short-run demand in Japan; our approach to the future is cautious, with a focus on society's present and future requirements. 

Every city in the world is either in the process of growing, degenerating, or regenerating, and each is accompanied by a unique set of challenges. New and upcoming cities must take into account urban planning to avoid congestion and overcrowding, while also maintaining their cultural identity and original sense of purpose. Your firm has been involved in different types of urban planning projects, such as the Shanghai Greenland Center, and you also offer solutions like Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Can you provide more detail on how you've been able to adapt your solutions to new upcoming cities across the world?

Cities thrive when they offer comfortable and highly livable environments, attracting people to call them home. This phenomenon is probably universal. I believe the common guideline is to assess each city within the context of its unique history, culture, and climate to discern what resonates with its residents. The approach cannot be “one size fits all”; we shouldn't impose uniform directives on diverse populations. Instead, adjustments must be tailored to each city's specific needs and characteristics.

Shanghai Greenland Center (Photographer: mintwow)

The solutions to urban development are diverse. Some cities may benefit from redevelopment initiatives rather than constantly opting for new/scrap-and-build construction. Others may require entirely new structures. In addition, certain cities might find the most success in a combination of renewal projects with new builds. The key lies in understanding what suits a particular city to determine the most effective path forward.

Spotify Camp Nou stands as one of the most renowned stadia in the world of football, serving as the home to FC Barcelona. In 2016, your proposal to overhaul the stadium was selected, appointing your team as the “General Planner” of the project. You’re responsible for guaranteeing the continuity of the initial concept while also working toward ways of including new proposals seamlessly into the project. What was your vision for redesigning one of the world’s most iconic football venues?

In this project, it was essential to honor and incorporate elements that Barcelonians or Catalonians respected. A distinctive feature of our plan at the international design competition was the deliberate absence of walls surrounding the stadium. In contrast to the enclosed structures in the Terms of the Competition reference design, we introduced open concourses without facades. Protected by eaves, this space offers panoramic views of the city. Our inspiration came from observing how people in Barcelona embraced the Mediterranean climate, relishing outdoor activities and socializing. Rather than confining them within the stadium, our design aims to let them savor the outdoor sunlight and breeze.

This concept draws parallels with traditional Japanese architecture, where houses or buildings often feature loosely defined semi-outdoor spaces known as engawa (verandas), separated from the outdoors by fusuma (lightweight movable screens). It creates an environment where individuals can appreciate the outdoors as well as the shelter of the eaves. This intersection of Japanese design principles and the demands of the Mediterranean climate was a key consideration in shaping our unique proposal.

Spotify Camp Nou/Design Competition's winning scheme CG

Your firm, founded in 1900, has undertaken a diverse array of projects over the years, leading to its current status as the foremost architectural and design firm in Japan and ranking as number five in the World Architecture 100. What do you believe are some of the key projects or milestones throughout your firm's history?

Starting with the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library and extending to more recent endeavors such as large airports, our major projects represent our response to society's evolving needs. Noteworthy landmarks such as Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, and Shibuya Sky also stand as milestones, demonstrating our commitment to meeting the demands of society.

Japan was formerly known for its scrap-and-build activities and for constantly erecting new structures. This popular book (see the link below) uses magnificent illustrations to focus attention on renewing grand, high-quality heritage buildings. It delves into preserving and repurposing various structures, including high-rises like the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building, an extensive renewal of a 1974 design, to ensure that it would last for another 50 years.

		Hajimete no Heritage Kenchiku: Edeyomu Ikita Meikenchiku no Miryoku (Heritage Architecture for Beginners: The Charm of "Living Master Buildings" Read with Pictures), by Hiroshi Miyazawa, Nikkei Business Publications, Available only in Japanese: https://amzn.asia/d/3McWROt

Over your 100-year history, many things have changed in the construction sector, including digital technologies. While some architects still insist on using hand-drawn concepts, due to their speed and their ability to change on the fly, digital technologies have today completely changed the construction landscape. They enable real-time collaboration among architects, engineers, and other stakeholders while digital models can be generated with their physical and functional characteristics as well. You've developed the Digital Design Lab (DDL), a special team that utilizes the latest technologies such as AI. How has the creation of the DDL enhanced the projects that you've worked on so far? 

The DDL is a true laboratory where architects and designers eagerly experiment with the latest technology, making it a diverse and dynamic space. The DDL serves as an engine for disseminating the value of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in architectural design. As such, it allows for comprehensive data integration into BIM and goes beyond design to construction and post-construction building operation and maintenance.

Within our Tokyo head office building, we've successfully integrated the data for architectural, structural, and building services, particularly energy consumption. This data-driven approach enables us to make informed decisions about renovation, renewal, and maintenance. It’s still in the experimental stage, so it hasn’t yet been implemented in all the buildings across Tokyo. I hope that Digital Twin technology will become a standard practice in Japan in the near future.

In response to initiatives put forth by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, we engage in the application of digital technologies on an urban scale, moving beyond individual buildings. By inputting a substantial amount of information into urban-scale data, we will be able to predict outcomes such as river conditions and potential flood levels during heavy rains. This data will aid us in identifying safe evacuation locations, etc. 

Additionally, we've developed a system that captures human behavior in public and landscape spaces, measuring how long and where people spend in these areas both before and after landscape renovations.  Armed with large amounts of this kind of data, for example, we can measure the increase in the number of people who lingered under the renovated “GranRroof” of Tokyo Station Yaesu Development compared to the pre-renovation era. The area, with its revitalized public space, serves as a compelling example of the positive impact of such urban interventions. 

Space improvement proposals based on data on visitors’ staying time