Roppongi 1chome Station Exit 3
Minato, Tokyo
Koh Kitayama + architecture WORKSHOP

A transparent subway pavilion adds life to a thriving neighborhood

© Keiji Ashizawa

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The entrance pavilion of this subway station is located next to Ark Hills, a complex completed in 1986 that is the culmination of 15 years of planning and construction by the Mori Building corporation, whose designers were determined to make it a hub where people live, work, shop, and participate in a variety of cultural activities. ARK is actually an acronym for "Akasaka-Roppongi Knot," and if you looked at the area’s perpetually snarled traffic, the word begins to make sense. In addition to three residential apartment buildings, the three-sided 36-floor ANA Hotel, and 37-floor Ark Towers Building, the complex functions as a seat for culture where live performances are regularly held at Suntory Hall, adjacent to which are studios of the Asahi television network.

This level of urban activity necessitated a subway station that continued the upbeat theme of the neighborhood. The architects imagined a place that would be active at night, with nearby food stalls doing business. The footprint of the entrance to the station on street level was restricted by the park that surrounds it, so the architects designed a pavilion that is little more than a shelter over a large stairway. This airy and modern rectangular cover is assembled from narrow metal bars creating a light trusswork that suggests sunlight filtered through the leaves of trees. The box is framed in steel mesh, and two cylindrical tubes extending the width of the pavilion provide light. It is bright and transparent, helping to insure its safe use during evening hours when the performances let out.

Formal name of Project:
Roppongi 1 chome Station Exit No.3

Location:
Minato, Tokyo

Gross square footage:
2,512 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$1.5 million

Owner:
Mori Building CO.,LTD./Teito Rapid Transit Authority
www.tokyometro.jp

Architect:
Koh Kitayama + architecture WORKSHOP
2-14-21 BF, Motoazabu, Minato,Tokyo 106-0046
Phone: ++81.(0)3.5449.8337
Fax: ++81.(0)3.5449.4822
www.archws.com