日建 設計

A JOURNEY THROUGH OUR FIRST 115 YEARS OF HISTORY1900 - 2015

NIKKEN SEKKEI 1900 -2015:
A JOURNEY THROUGH OUR FIRST 115 YEARS OF HISTORY

Summarised from the book “NIKKEN SEKKEI 1900 - 2015. A 115 - Year Life Chronicle”;
first edition published on June 1st, 2015.

序Introduction

NIKKEN SEKKEI 1900-2015 – A 115-Year Life Chronicle
More than 115 years have passed since our foundation, and 65 years since our therestart after the war. Nikken Sekkei has developed into a professional service firm inarchitecture, city planning and environmental fields with 1,800 staff members, andmore than 2,400 people in Nikken Group as a whole.
In modern society, it is necessary for various experts to collaborate in order to face
any unpredicted issues. After the war, we started as a group of Planners / Architects /Engineers, but our professional fields had continued to deepen and expand. Nikken
Group is now composed of Nikken Sekkei as the core, and 6 professional groupcompanies over different fields.
Since its foundation, it has proceeded along with the history of Japan, developing
and evolving through different eras. The 115-Year Life Chronicle of Nikken Sekkei
has been conceived for those who are professionally involved in different aspect ofarchitecture and for those who are interested in architecture and cities in general.
2015 spring.
Nikken Sekkei Ltd.,
Chairman, Keiichi Okamoto*Keiichi Okamoto, Nikken Sekkei Ltd. Chairman until 2016.

年表
Chronological table
The Edo Era(1603 - 1868)

The Meiji Era(1868 - 1912)

The Taisho Era(1912 - 1926)

The Showa Era(1926 - 1989)

Great Kanto Earthquake(1923)

Great Depression(1929)The Heisei Era(1989 - )World War II(1939 - 1945)
Dissolution of Zaibatsu(Zaibatsu : Business group)

Main Sumitomo
Family's Businesses

1691
Sumitomo’s
Besshi Copper
Mine began

Headquarters needed
Copper mining
Banking

1900

1933

Foundation of
SUMITOMO TEMPORARY
ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

Cut of Personnel →Dissolution(Architectural Design &Construction Management)

Metal factory

1945

Reunite with
Sumitomo
caused by the Great Depression as a member of
Two leader architects,
NIPPON
Hasebe and Takekoshi
ENGINEERING
establishedCO., LTD.
HASEBE-TAKEKOSHIARCHITECTS OFFICE

1950

1970

Design & Supervision
Department
Established
NIKKEN SEKKEIKOMU CO., LTD.
as independent
Architect and Engineer
design firm

Change the name
into
NIKKEN SEKKEILTD.

(Independent but kept businesswith Sumitomo)

The Osaka North Harbor Co., Ltd.

HOKKAIDO NIKKEN SEKKEI
1956

NHS
NIKKEN HOUSING SYSTEM
1970

NSD
NIKKEN SPACE DESIGN
1994

NSC

1919
(Civil Engineering Department
was succeeded by the later
Nikken Sekkei Komu Co., Ltd.)

HNS

Nippon Engineering
Co., Ltd. established(caused by dissolutionof Zaibatsu)

Sumitomo Corporation

NIKKEN SEKKEICIVIL ENGINEERING
2001(General Trading Company)

NMS
NIKKEN SEKKEIMANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
2001-2016

NCM
NIKKEN SEKKEICONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
2005

NSRI
NIKKEN SEKKEIRESEARCH INSTITUTE
2006

目次

1900

Contents

1910

1920

明治時代
1

The Rising of an Era

1-1

The Meiji Era

10

大正時代
2

A Shaking Period

2-1

The Taisho Era -- The Early Period of Showa Era

昭和時代

平成時代

The Meiji Era (1868 – 1912)

The Taisho Era (1912 – 1926)

18

The Showa Era (1926 – 1989)

3

The Starkness and Fertility of a White Page

3-1

World War II

28

3-2

The 50’s

30

3-3

The Legacy of the Iron Mills Projects

32

3-4

The Power of Freedom

36

3-5

A New Demand for Quality and Diversity

38

3-6

Receiving History and Passing it on to the Future

40

3-7

Creating a City

42

The Heisei Era (1989 – )1930

4

The Growth and the Future of Human Society

4-1

Architecture for Better Living

46

4-2

The Power of Green

48

4-3

Creative Management Realises Unprecedented Projects

50

4-4

Unifying the Whole Company Performance

52

4-5

Dealing With the “Unknown”

54

4-6

Moving Space and Structure

56

4-7

Unconstrained Frame Design

58

4-8

Pursuing the Possibility of Materials

60

4-9

Learning from Life

62

4-10

Pursuing a Sustainable City and Architecture

64

4-11

Integrating Culture and History

66

4-12

Our Point of View on Overseas Projects

68

4-13

With the People of the Modern Islamic Society

74

4-14

Japanese Architectural Culture and Traditional
Craftsmanship Handed Down into Modern Times

76

4-15

Technology and the Sense of Aesthetic Beyond Space and Time80

Epilogue

87

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

1900

明 治

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1 The Rising of an Era
1868 – 1912

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

1-1
1900

The Meiji Era
1910

On the wave of the industrial revolution, Japan’s Meiji era opened the door to the

Tomoito Sumitomo had the money, the style and the right acumen in conducting andmodernization of the country, bringing new energy to industries and companies abledelegating business; which most certainly included the ability to choose the suitable

to understand and take advantage of Western technologies. One family in particular,

person for every specific department. When it came to the Sumitomo Temporary

the Sumitomo Family, gained fortune from the copper business - copper that was

Architecture Department, it was the matching of two talented architects that mademined from the Besshi Mines, property of the family - and their secondary banking

the difference: Noguchi and Hidaka, who both mastered the artistic, aesthetic andbusiness in Japan.

engineering aspects of the company.

As business grew, the necessity of having headquarters for these two activities

The first projects included: Osaka Library, Sumitomo Family Suma Villa, Sumitomo

prompted the foundation of a temporary architecture department under the

Temporary General Head Office, and Sumitomo Bank branches throughout theguidance of one of the Sumitomo descendants: Tomoito “Shunsui” Sumitomo.

country and more.

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1-2 The 26 members of Sumitomo Head Office Temporary
Architecture Department. Magoichi Noguchi is third from theleft, front line.

1980

1990

1-1

住友友純

野口孫市

日高胖

Tomoito Sumitomo(1865-1926)

Magoichi Noguchi(1869-1915)

Yutaka Hidaka(1875 -1952)

1-3

2000

1-4

2010

10

11

別子銅山

1900

1910

Besshi Copper Mines

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

Besshi

Osaka

Tokyo

1970

1980

1-5 1874 Painting of the Besshi Copper
Mines by Soseki Murase. Sumitomo
Historical Archives’ reference-collection.
We can see the Setouchi Inland Sea
in the above portion of the painting.

1990

1-5

2000

2010

12

13

1900

住友家須磨別邸 Sumitomo Family’s Suma Villa

大阪図書館 Osaka Library1910

In 1900, Shunsui Sumitomo ordered
Magoichi Noguchi to launch the designof the Sumitomo Family Suma Villa andthe Osaka Library. The Sumitomo Family’s
Suma Villa was an elegant residence built
following Victorian Colonial style in the
scenic landscape of Suma.

Shunsui Sumitomo also decided to endow
the library to Osaka Prefecture as a social
contribution. Noguchi understood theessence of Western classic architecture andadopted the Italian Renaissance Palladianstyle to the design of the library.

1920

1930

1-6

1-10

1-6 Suma Villa’s existing stone pier gate.

1-10 Extension completed in 1922.

1-7 Suma Villa’s hall.

1-11 Plan and elevation drawing inspired byAndrea Palladio’s Vicenza Villas.

1-8 Sumitomo Villa’s external view of theexisting stone retaining wall.

1940

1-12 Centre Dome.

1-9 Sumitomo Family’s Suma Villa (1903). The
Southern outward view from Suma beach.

1-13 Osaka Library (1904).
1950

1-7

1-8

1-11

1-12
1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

1-9

1-13

2010

14

15

1900

大 正

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

2 A Shaking Period
1912 – 1926

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2-1
1900

The Taisho Era --- The Early Period of Showa Era
1910

The events springing from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 saw the fulfilment of many

However, in that time of crisis caused by the Great Depression of 1929 when all Japandomestic and foreign economic objectives, without Japan suffering the colonial

was weakened, drastic measures needed to be taken in order to survive. Even a strong

fate of other Asian nations. The enthusiasm towards and mastery of Western

corporation like Sumitomo Temporary Architecture Department gradually reduced

culture experienced in the Meiji period continued throughout this liberal, yet brief

its employees from 140 to 30 people.

1920

reign. However, three major events literally shook the Taisho Era: The Great Kanto
Earthquake, the First World War, and the Great Depression in 1929; but the solidity

In 1933, moved by the will of saving the remaining professional team, Hasebe andof the Sumitomo’s companies stood firm under the pressure of catastrophe. Strength

Takekoshi, the leaders of the department at that time, left Sumitomo and founded an

and flexibility defined not only the company strategy, but also the quality of thearchitectural design office with their loyal staff, supported by Sumitomo Partnership

Temporary Architecture Department’s buildings.

Firm’s capital.

1930

1940

The good relationship and connection with Sumitomo granted them the Osaka Stock
2-1 Sumitomo Bank, Tokyo Branch Office,
1917.

Exchange project follow-up, the design and supervision of Sumitomo Family’s private
Buddha statue hall. They also gained the commission of the Tokyo Commercial Paper

2-2 Elevation drawing. The banking hall: from
1st to 3rd storey, centre space.

Clearing House (Design competition winning), and the Nippon Insurance Company

2-3 The bank still standing after the fire
following the Great Kanto Earthquake.

Head Office Main Building, and many more. 10 years after its establishment, the staff

1950

grew to 250 members. But, history was once again knocking at the door.

2-4 The Great Kanto Earthquake, 1923.
Scene of Nihonbashi and Kanda areas.

1960

2-1
1970

1980

2-2

2-3

2-5

長谷部鋭吉

竹腰健造

Eikichi Hasebe(1885-1960)

Kenzo Takekoshi(1888-1981)
2-6

1990

2000

2-4

2010

18

19

大阪市地図

1900

1910

1920

Osaka City Map

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2-7 1924 mock painting of the Greater
Osaka. The 2-storey temporary
Sumitomo General Head Officeprovisory building is shown in thecircle. The vacant space on the
Northern side was the site for the first
construction phase.

2000

2-7

2010

20

21

1900

住友ビルディング Sumitomo Building (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation)

大阪株式取引所 Osaka Securities Exchange Building
1910

25 years after, the decision of building theSumitomo Headquarters was made in 1895;
the design was finally assigned in 1920 to thearchitects Eikichi Hasabe and Kenzo Takekoshi
both of whom had experience studying in a
Western background. Its completion in 1930
showcased an elegant architecture silently
protected by a disaster prevention design.

The new capitalistic economy required a
new style of architecture. Osaka Securities
Exchange Building, for example, needed
an air-conditioned big space in order toaccommodate around 2,000 people. Thisbuilding is composed of two significant
elements: the trading floor and the ovalshaped entrance hall.

1920

1930

2-12 Trading floor, a pioneer of highlyfunctional big spaces.

2-8
2-8

Detailed drawing of the Banking Hall.

2-9

Entrance exterior wall and Ionic-style pillar
detail.

2-12

2-13 Entrance hall. Coloured marble floor
with its scale-shape design pattern. Art
Deco lighting apparatus releasing atense atmosphere to the space.

2-10 The Banking Hall at the time of completion.

1940

2-14 Entrance hall. Window detail withstained glass in the lower stand.

2-11 Sumitomo Building (now Sumitomo Mitsui
Banking Corporation Osaka Head Office)at the time of its first phase of completion in
1926. The second was in 1930.
2-9

2-10

2-15 The building standing on theintersection between Sakaisuji andTosaboridori (1935).

1950

2-13

2-14

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2-11

2-15

2010

22

23

1900

日本生命保険本店本館 Nippon Life Insurance Company Head Office Main Building
1910

With its understated granite exterior, it
represents the hardships of the recent-past’s
turbulent history. Its construction, started
at the time of Hasebe-Takekoshi Architects’
office, had faced many obstacles, from theSecond Sino-Japanese War to World War
II, when the building was confiscated by
the Allied Occupation Forces. Started in
1939, it was only in 1962 that the wholeof the present granite main building wascompleted.

1920

1930

2-16

2-16 Analysis of the Midosuji side elevation
with golden ratio (Analysis by Hisashi
Yosano, former Nikken Sekkei’s architect).

1940

2-17 Ground floor windows and detailed
drawing section of the golden ratio.
1950

2-18 First construction phase completed in
1939. Second phase completed in 1962.
2-17

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2-18

2010

24

25

1900

昭 和

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

3 The Starkness and Fertility of a White Page
1926 – 1989

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

3-1
1900

World War II
1910

For 10 years from 1940 to 1950, Japan experienced a tumultuous time that also

The impact of the war hit hard on Japan, and Sumitomo’s industrial infrastructures

roughly divided the history of Nikken Sekkei. The time from the birth of Sumitomo

had suffered from major damages and destruction as well. In addition, the ensuing

Head Office Temporary Architecture Department to World War II is called “the time

Allied occupation had led to the forced breakup of the largest Japanese companies,

of To”, and the time after the war to 1991 is called “the time of From.” The devastation

including Sumitomo. Sumitomo’s disbandment led to the establishment of a generalof the country is an important turning point for every aspect of Japan, including its

trading company, not only allowing the absorption of repatriated Japanese workers

society, economy and culture. As people in Meiji had to deal with “Western culture,”from overseas, it was also an ingenious move to keep the business alive. Nippon

people right after the war were forced to face “the point of zero”. Thanks to thisEngineering Co. Ltd. was born, and its name was chosen as a good omen to represent

generation’s strong spirit, the history of Nikken Sekkei restarts on a blank page, withthe rebirth of a new Japan.

1920

1930

stored technologies and a deep belief in a better future.
1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

3-1 Picture of Osaka’s Midosuji, Shinsaibashisuji, Nagahori river, Nishiyokobori
canal and Yotsubashisuji area after the Air Raid Bombing (March 10th –August 14th, 1945). The Daimaru and Electricity Museum buildings survived
the fire but approximately 15,000 people were killed or missing.

3-2 Tokyo’s Ryogoku station area after the 1945, March 10th Air Raid Bombing.
The round building is the sumo stadium. The bridges crossing the Sumida
River are Shinoohashi and Kiyosubashi. More than 100,000 people were
killed or missing.

1990

2000

2010

28

29

3-2
1900

The 50’s
1910

The 50’s in Japan opened with a sense of defeat; but architecture, like other cultural

The leading architects, Minai in Osaka and Hayashi in Tokyo, gave their uniqueareas was experiencing a breath of fresh air, renovation and freedom. This youthfulimprint in design, with the former balancing modernism and tradition, and thespirit aimed to rebuild cities as an “ideal state”, eluding the strict adherence tolatter positively adopting new technologies to create the emblematic architecture

conventional rules and aesthetics. “Post-war modernism”, fed by the boomingof that time. The company’s contribution had a unique and enormous impact,

metallurgic economy during the war in Korea, gave Japan the opportunity to growdeparting from classic style architecture to embrace rationality and freedom. It cana liberal economy and a new democracy, bringing to Japan rapid urbanization, abe recognised under the label: “Nikken Sekkei Komu’s post-war modernism”.

1920

1930

change of lifestyle, trust in advanced technologies and the eagerness to build a new
What we see now, at this stage of history, is two separate companies, siblings ofsociety.

what previously was Nippon Engineering Co. Ltd. It is easy to understand how the
Nippon Engineering Co., Ltd. had so far survived and prospered under two distinct, yet

relationship between the two continued based on mutual respect and appreciation.

contradictory divisions: the general trading division, and the design and supervision

For example, the business of The Osaka North Harbour Co., Ltd. was taken overdepartment. During the post-war reconstruction wave, the general trading division led

by Sumitomo Corporation and the technologies were handed down to the civil

the company, supplying steel materials, steel pipes and electrical cables; overshadowing

engineering department of Nikken Sekkei Komu Co. Ltd.

1940

1950

the other department. Therefore, in order to avoid being absorbed by the stronger
department, and the ban against trading materials by the former Japanese Institute ofArchitects’, the design and supervision department of Nippon Engineering pursued
separate management and became independent. This was the foundation of Nikken

In 1953, Nikken Sekkei Komu Co. Ltd. took over engineering operations and humanresources from The Osaka North Harbour, founding the soil survey department.
From the beginning of the design, the department was able to test the soil

1960

independently.

Sekkei Komu Co., Ltd. (Osaka Head Office and Tokyo Branch).

1970

1980

3-5

3-6

1990

3-5 San’ai Dream Centre, 1962.

3-3

薬袋公明

林昌二

Kimiaki Minai(1926-2007)

Shoji Hayashi(1928-2011)
3-4

3-6 Construction Drawing. Doughnut-shaped PS concrete slab, built around the circular cylindershaped core at the centre, and the from the top lift-up method. This design was invented dueto the challenging conditions of the construction site in Ginza, Tokyo. The unusual construction
process became itself a performance.

2000

2010

30

31

3-3
1900

The Legacy of the Iron Mills Projects
1910

During its 115 years of history, the sequence and succession of companies since

The legacy of these factory projects has been handed down to the manufacturing andSumitomo Temporary Architecture Department have allowed the inheritance ofthe distribution facility design divisions of the Nikken Group, and became today’s

skills, vision, activities and technologies through the years up to today. These shared

three “roots”:

1920

roots have been passed through the generations, like a cultural baton. For example,
factory projects like the iron mills, which appeared during the post-war period of

1. Structural design of towers and skyscrapers (as represented by TOKYO SKYTREE®).

high economic growth, were based on pre-war models --- e.g. The domestic iron mills

2. Project management (e.g. Kansai International Airport Terminal Building).

for Sumitomo Metal and the steel pipe mills in China.

3. Overseas projects (e.g. China).

1930

In order to build large iron mills, it is essential to have civil engineering design, suchas land forming and the foundation of heavy machines. Additionally, in large factory

1940

projects, it is necessary to have a strict cooperation between architects and civilengineering. The ability of the civil engineering department to design and supervise
iron mills helped the company to overcome post-war hardship.

1950

3-9

3-10

3-11

Since its foundation, Nikken Sekkei Komu Co. Ltd. has been favoured by numerous

1960

important projects thanks to its versatility and above all its diversity. Projects include:
JCA (Japan Construction Agency)

1970

Assigned directly by the US military, who highly appreciated the company’s double
soul (Design + Civil Engineering Department). Projects were ordered continuously

3-7

1980

from 1952 to 1955.

3-8

1990

3-7 Yawata Steel Works Tobata Converter
Factory (1959). (Now Nippon Steel &Sumitomo Metal Corporation Yawata SteelWorks).

3-9

3-8 Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
Wakayama Iron Works (1965).

3-12 Nikken Sekkei Komu’s first president, Kyusuke
Ozaki (at the center), during a meeting with JCA.

Nagoya TV Tower (1954).

3-10 Tokyo Tower (1958).
3-11 Kobe Port Tower (1963).
2000

3-12

2010

32

33

1900

114ビル 114th Bank Head Office

パルスサイドビル Palaceside Building

114th Bank Head Office in Takamatsu.
With a height of 64 metres, it was thetallest building in western Japan at the timeand a beloved landmark of the city. The
exterior wall of the fifth floor is verdigris
bronze that shines with the green treesof the opposite Chuo Park. The groundfloor peristyle protects people from strong
sunshine and rain. The building exquisitely
fits the concepts of: “the large scale of thetownscape” and “intimate humane scale”.

Palaceside Building, a compound of offices, commercial
facilities and a massive newspaper printing factory, setin an important site in front of the Imperial Palace, andcovering an area of 120,000 square metres. Furthermore,it can be regarded as a concentration of details born at theintersection of time and space: the rhythmical structureof the exterior wall, with horizontal cast aluminium flat
louvers, presents a sense of Japanese delicacy, while themeticulous work on the vertical rainwater pipes and thegutter can be seen as a tribute to traditional Japanesearchitecture.
To approach this project, the design team divided it into
two main areas: a long lifespan “frame” that was fixed
to the environment; and short lifespan “facilities” that
could be changed (energy system, interior decoration,etc.) according to future requirements. The “stage design”
method (now “fast track”) was adopted to speed up theprocess and contain costs.

3-13 114 Bank Head Office (1966)

BELCA* Award: Received the long-life category in 1992 / Received the best-reform category in 2013.
*An awarding system which aims to contribute to the conservation of good architecture in Japan.

1910

1920

3-15

1930

1940

3-16

1950

3-15 Plan of a standard floor and site layout.

広島県庁舎 Hiroshima New Prefectural Office3-16 Flat louvers, rainwater pipes, and vertical gutters madeof cast aluminium.
3-17 Palaceside Building (1966).

Hiroshima New Prefectural Office, built
600 metres away from the atomic bomb’s
point of impact, has become the symbolof new democracy. The nature of thebuilding, representing “brightness” and“openness”, expresses the freedom andopen-mindedness of the new society.
The building lies on the clay terrain of the
Ota River Delta, making a multi-storey
building construction impossible. To
overcome this problem, it was cleaverly
decided to arrange a medium-rise head
office and a low-rise South building
horizontally, in order to spread the weightequally.

1960

1970

1980

3-14 Hiroshima New Prefectural Office (1956).

1990

2000

3-17

2010

34

35

3-4
1900

The Power of Freedom

Who Are We?
1910

In the West, a professional corporation is a legal corporate status authorised by

At this stage of recent history, when the economy is growing and society is changing

law. As great importance is given to social responsibility, the firms of accountants,

with new needs and demands; it becomes natural for an enduring company likelawyers, and architects are required to own all of their stakes to avoid control or

Nikken Sekkei to question itself. “Who are we?” and “Where are we heading?” Thepressure from “outsiders”. There is no similar law in Japan.

answer can be found in a report drafted in 1992 which sets three goals:

When Nikken Sekkei Komu Co. Ltd. became independent after World War II, it was

1. To expand and develop the field of design services:“designed” to become a professional corporation in the same spirit of regulationas Western law. Since then, the company has firmly maintained its In-house

2. To make propositions and contributions to society from the point of view of ordinary
citizens.

Shareholder Corporate System, not allowing any external shareholders. “The power

3. To build an information and technology network over various fields.

1930

of freedom” became the foundation to accomplish work based on professional ethics
and obtain credence from society at large, and it still regulates our ethic approach forthe entire Nikken Group.

1920

1940

Later, 7 group companies were established and the Nikken Group was created,covering the major fields in each professional area.
1950(As of 2006)
1960

The Big Bang of Technologies
1970

In the 30 years between 1970 and 2000, society and technology expanded like the big
bang. In 1972, the concept of limited natural resources started to rear its head. Since
then, the question on “how to use natural resources, while keeping the environment

1980

safe” has produced various energy saving technologies.
In 1970, Nikken Sekkei Komu Co. Ltd. changed its name to Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
1990

with the English version of the name borrowing the tagline: “planners / architects

NHS : Nikken Housing System
NSD : Nikken Space Design
HNS : Hokkaido Nikken Sekkei
NSRI : Nikken Sekkei Research Institute
NMS : Nikken Sekkei Management Solutions
NCM : Nikken Sekkei Construction Management
NSC : Nikken Sekkei Civil Engineering/ engineers”. Since then, the subject of sustainability has been a priority matter in
Nikken Sekkei’s projects.

2000

2010

36

37

3-5
1900

A New Demand for Quality and Diversity

中野サンプラザ Nakano Sunplaza
1910

Despite the oil crisis that hit in the 1970s, the Japanese economy entered a periodof stable-growth, followed by an impressive export expansion in the 1980s, whichgave Japan steady international competitiveness. As business was booming, society
was growing, becoming more complex, cultivated and demanding; architecture
became once again the reflection of an era. Cities themselves became larger and more
complicated, presenting new urban contexts, containers of new life styles. Largescale projects with different functions compounded started appearing on the market;
the use of atriums for natural light became popular in design in order to give more
movement and simplicity to these new buildings. Arenas and auditoriums, which
could accommodate a large number of people became necessary, and structural,
acoustic, and air-conditioning technologies were developed in this period. In
addition, on the wave of this financial fervour, working hours extended, and people

The Nakano Sunplaza project started in1969 with a challenging task by the Ministryof Labour: arrange different buildings
and facilities in a rather limited area. The
Integration of three buildings in a large
triangular architecture was a revolutionary
idea that brought unprecedented benefits.
This 50,000 square metres “super complex”
included: a ground-floor auditorium, ahigh-rise hotel, sports facilities with aswimming pool and bowling alleys, a lecture
hall, and offices. The proposal was highly
appreciated by the committee.
Nakano Sunplaza opened in 1973 with apublic speech by Prime Minister Kakuei
Tanaka, celebrating “The hall for youths”(former name, Nakano Sunplaza).

1920

1930

3-18 Cross-section perspective drawing of
Nakano Sunplaza (1973).
1940

came to realize that offices were living spaces: the old concept of office needed to be1950

reconsidered and modernised. As a result, planning technologies for office spaces,
design technologies of high-rise buildings, engineering of exterior walls and IT
technologies were developed.
- These technologies continue to develop today, despite the swing of the bubble

1960

新宿 NSビル Shinjuku NS Building

economy, thanks to the growing demand for more quality workspaces in urban
1970

environments.
The following Nikken Sekkei projects are representative of the time.

The Shinjuku NS Building was presented
to the public in 1982, responding to therequest from the Tokyo Metropolitan City
Government to relieve the congestionin the Tokyo city-centre by becoming a
new pole of attraction. This upstream
low-rise complex, designed with a large
atrium surrounded by two L-shaped officebuildings, enhanced the “City in the City”
feeling. People walking through could
breathe a completely different experiencefrom the suffocating skyscrapers nearby.
Shinjuku NS Building is an all-timefavourite in the hearts of the citizens.

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3-19 Cross-section of Shinjuku NS Building(1982).

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Receiving History and Passing it on to the Future

大阪市庁舎 Osaka City Hall
1910

Architecture is a bridge between the past and the future, allowing one to read thesigns and styles of the time; and with a careful look, a hint of the future. Somearchitectures are more inclined to receive from the past; others to deliver to the
future.

The old Osaka City Hall construction wascompleted in 1921, presenting a dignified
Renaissance style. After 57 years, Nikken Sekkei
was appointed to its reconstruction. The design wasconceived to take over the image of the old city halland harmonise the new building with other nearby
historical architectures. The whole of the building
was completed in 1985.

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3-20 façade.

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3-21 Arch and Lion motif. Decorationsof the frontal wall in the new
conference room assembly hall.
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日本電気本社ビル NEC Head Office Building
1970

The NEC Head Office Building, commonly known
as “NEC Super-tower”, was completed in Tokyo,
Tamachi, where NEC was established in 1990. As
the problem with skyscrapers is the creation ofstrong wind disturbance on the ground, Nikken
Sekkei presented the innovative idea of a wind holeat the centre, weakening the energy of the wind andallowing natural light to illuminate the atrium on
the lower floor (elevators and stairs on both side).
This rising skyscraper in the dense urban area
is likened to a 3-stage booster-rocket and space
3-22 section.
shuttles while its exterior expresses the corporate
identity of the company.

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3-23 NEC Head Office
Building (1990).

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Creating a City
1910

Nikken Sekkei started to work on urban planning projects. Osaka Business Park

Nikken Sekkei suggested to add an East-West axis to Osaka City which already had

shows the introduction of urban development.

an existing North-South axis. The master plan, proposed in 1969, for the 26-hectare
artillery arsenal site was drawn based on this grand plan. However, due to the 1973

From Meiji era until the pre-war era, the Osaka Castle area had been an importanteconomic depression, the plan was on the verge of falling apart. As it was the firstnational military site. Adjacent to it was Osaka Artillery Arsenal, which was the best

massive development by the private sector, receiving state authorities’ consent turnedarms factory in Asia, both in production and technology. This area later became theout to be the major obstacle. However, thanks to the strong will of the development

site of Osaka Business Park.

association and the cooperation of the Mayor of Osaka, in 1976 a land readjustment

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was approved, and finally the project got on track. A city with lush greenery was
The story of Osaka Business Park started in 1945, precisely on August 14th, the day

created.

before Japan’s defeat was decided. That day, 716.5 tons of bombs were dropped on the1940

site, devastating the Arsenal Artillery. For 20 years, the place remained an abandoned

The ideal to create a lively city, where people are happy to live and work, became abrownfield which passed through the hands of different owners, and the end toreality. A Zelkova treeline, running from East to West, still makes the city breathe.

four big enterprises. One of those was Sumitomo Life Insurance Company. Nikken

Moreover, the “system” to create only 5 large districts (Super block), instead of

Sekkei, invited by Sumitomo Life Insurance Company, was the first to see the social

dividing the site into small areas, was once again a revolutionary idea.

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potential of the site; and soon the master plan was realised in association with Maki
and Associates Architecture and Planning, and Takenaka Corporation.

Nikken Sekkei is working on urban planning projects in various cultures andsocieties all over the world. We will never forget that cities are not only “containers”,

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they are living creatures themselves.
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3-24 Business Park, Osaka.
3-25 View of the abandoned
old artillery arsenal site,
left in rubble after thebombing.

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平 成

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4 The Growth and the Future of Human Society
1989 –

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Architecture for Better Living

クイーンズスクエア横浜 Queen’s Square Yokohama
1910

Cities and architectures are now required to adjust to new challenges, like: “how cancities and architectures contribute to society? And, how can they create a good “Wayof Life?”. It is then essential to plan urban development to prevent problems arisingfrom unregulated expanse of cities; and to make designs in accordance with theattractiveness of cities. Nikken Sekkei and the Nikken Group companies are working
from various points of view to create new value.

泉ガーデン Izumi Garden
In 1994, the new station of Roppongi- 1-chome inTokyo spearheaded the area’s redevelopment. Thisurban planning decision greatly contributed to thedevelopment of Izumi Garden, a 2.4-hectare historic arealieing on a complex and rolling topography. Turning thischaracteristic ground feature into the main star of the
project allowed the creation of a three-dimensional spacedesigned for pedestrians. The project design dynamicallyconnects with a series of terraced plazas cascading to
the subway station. Today, it presents a comprehensive
complex for work and life in the middle of the city,
including offices, a business club, commercial andresidential offerings, and a museum.

Queen’s Square Yokohama, a large complex of commercial
facilities, offices, hotels and concert halls. Queen Mall, witha length of 300 metres, is an axis of activities stretching theentire complex and connected to the dynamic atrium space,
and the Minatomirai 21 Line subway station --- called station
core. Minatomirai 21 is now an infrastructure which attracts
people, providing an increase in urban activities to the city,a recollection of the past with a warm historical memory of
Kannai, and the buzzing atmosphere of Motomachi-China
Town.
It is an example that shows how the development of a city
should be, thanks to the virtue of the people who planned,
performed, and strongly supported the project.

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渋谷ヒカリエ Shibuya Hikarie
1980

Shibuya Hikarie, with its large vertical space called “urbancore” extending from underground, provides a highly
convenient and barrier-free space for changing trains, withnatural light and fresh air. The total area of 140,000 square
metres is a compound of different functions that people
can comfortably enjoy. The method to integrate public
transportation with urban development, is called TOD(Transit Oriented Development). This urban development
method is starting to get attention from overseas countries
in which urbanisation is rapidly developing.

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4-1 Izumi Garden (2002). Green terraces linking the commercial facilities.

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4-2 Shibuya Hikarie (2012) ©Shibuya Hikarie.
4-3 Queen’s Square Yokohama (1997). Station core connecting the subway station.

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4-4 PACIFICO Yokohama, arch-shaped building (1991). Yokohama Bay Hotel, at the centre -rightand neighbouring buildings increasing in height. Queen’s Square Yokohama, designed incollaboration with Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei.

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The Power of Green
1910

Iron, glass and concrete. Modern cities are filled with artificial materials which give

Iidamachi, I-Garden Air.

off a suffocating feeling. Creating pleasant greenery not only enhances the look andIn developing this 280,000 square metres area, in which office buildings, a hotel,

feel of the townscape, it improves the environment for people, and it softens the heat-commercial facilities and condominium apartments are built, a 300-metre North-island phenomena. It is called “the power of green”.

South “Leafy shade mall” for pedestrians was made. The Metasequoia conifers that1920

run down the street mark the change of seasons with different leaf colours, offering

Midosuji Westan evocative landscape to people walking by. In addition, a gentle winding path

Midosuji West is a three-block area running on the West side of Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka.

enclosed by a big maple-lined tunnel was made on the North side of the leafy shade

It is a lively spot filled with restaurants and cafes where in Summer, people can enjoy

mall. This path was named Hirakawa no Kei after the river that was flowing in thiswalking in the shade. 30 years ago, it wasn’t as charming. It was a grey area filled witharea until the early Edo Era. The stone embankment of the river, unearthed during

people walking hurriedly, and dust kicked up by cars. The story of its rebirth started

archeological research, was used for the stonework of this path, symbolising awith the Ginsen Yokobori Building. Its wall was set back 6 metres from the road,continuity with the past.

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making room for a wide pathway with two Zelkova trees and sixteen Camphor trees
as a public open space. This building became the pioneer of the spread of a green

The Nikken Sekkei Tokyo Office is located in Iidamachi I-Garden Air, the Osaka

network in the area.

Office is in the Ginsen Yokobori Building, and the Nagoya Office faces Hisaya Odori

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Park.
4-5 In the red circle: Ginsen Yokobori
Building,1986. The creation of the green
environment started from the north-south
street in front of the building and extend
to the east-west street intersection. Nikken
Sekkei was engaged in the thick greenpart, and not in the light green part.

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Bird’s-eye view of the large green area.
In the upper part: Koishikawa Korakuen
Garden; in the lower part: the Imperial
Palace. I-Garden Air (circled in blue).

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Green-rich walkway in “I-Garden Air.”

4-6 The entrance of this basement-level
restaurant opens on a little court filled withgreenery, allowing for natural light and alight atmosphere.

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Creative Management Realises Unprecedented Projects

東本願寺 真宗本廟御影堂 Higashi Honganji Shinsyuhonbyo Goei-do
1910

As society, economy and technology are developing at an accelerating pace, we
increasingly work on projects of unprecedented size or content. Our company believes
the fundamental steps to approach any project, the exceptional ones in particular, arebased on the following three elements:
1. Clarify and share a goal and the way to achieve it
2. Maximize the value of the project

Higashi Honganji Shinsyuhonbyo Goei-do is a cultural heritage site. The project, therefore,
involved the cooperation of national treasure experts. We sought to garner public support
to cover the management of construction costs. Donations, from more than 1,300,000
families associated with Honganji throughout Japan, made this project possible. Protecting
and repairing roof tiles, wood and lacquer was the main scope: various new technologies
were introduced to strengthen and update old fire-prevention equipment; while anti-seismic
reinforcements were also applied to reduce the impact of strong earthquakes. This is an exampleof how new technologies are applied to preserve historic buildings.

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3. Advance the project in a way to garner public support

Tokyo Midtown
Tokyo Midtown is a 4-hectare large-scale development in the city centre. 12
architectural design offices and designers were selected to work together and make

4-10, 4-11, 4-12
After completing the renovation construction in 2009, the temporary 1500 ton roof was slid to theAmida hall renovation construction site, which is adjacent to the site of Goei-do. Nikken Sekkei
proposed an horizontal transfer, and a makeshift of the primary roof as a part of management. Thismethod shortened the construction period and saved cost.

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the project perfectly fit the surrounding area. Nikken Sekkei was in charge of1950

controlling the whole design as core architect, and working as a project manager
to assemble as many as 30 design contracts. The scale of the development, thetransportation plan, the model plan, and the project opening time were clarified

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at an early stage of the project. In order to achieve goals in a short time, a masterschedule was prepared, followed by negotiations and procedures with the public
administration. At the same time, the design was in progress. The master schedule
was then shared with all parties involved; this usually helps to find the best andfastest solution in long-term projects where the societal and economic situation may

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suddenly change.
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The master schedule is still the fundamental basis of Nikken Sekkei projects process.
When climbing an untouched mountain, climbing
techniques are necessary. Success and failure

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depends on the choice of the route and organizing
a team. Project management is the same. Creative
project management of a one-time project leads
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to a decisive factor in determining its success or
failure.

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Unifying the Whole Company Performance
1910

Nikken Sekkei, which works on creating value for architecture, cities and the

As of 2016, the Group is composed of 7 firms:

environment, has decided to unify the entire company’s performance and• Hokkaido Nikken Sekkei Ltd. (HNS)Architecture and urban development based on technologies specific to cold
climates since 1956.

management as the Nikken Group. In 2004, Nikken Sekkei’s head office, andsubsequently all the head office functions, as well as the network centre for its

1920

activities of Osaka, Nagoya and Kyushu offices, were transferred from Osaka toTokyo.

• Nikken Housing System Ltd. (NHS)
Since 1970, designing housing facilities for a comfortable life.

Moreover, in order to respond to the development of social systems and technologies;

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intellectual and human resources, and organizational design have become flexible,• Nikken Space Design Ltd. (NSD)
Since 1994, a professional group of designers and creators, who actively workin wide areas of interior design.

assembling the best team configuration, depending on the project. Today, the whole
company can do project management regardless of the district, and also organize thebest team for overseas projects.

• Nikken Sekkei Civil Engineering Ltd. (NSC)
Since 2001, based on civil engineering technologies, it works actively to
improve urban infrastructures and urban development in Japan and overseas.

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• Nikken Sekkei Management Solutions Ltd. (NMS)
Since 2001, offering consulting business aiming to maximise the value ofreal estate property owned by companies; and to improve the intellectual
productivity from various work-styles of office employees, until 2016.
• Nikken Sekkei Construction Management Ltd. (NCM)
Since 2005, the biggest construction management firm in Japan supporting
businesses in the process of decision making and transparency for complicatedconstruction projects.

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• Nikken Sekkei Research Institute (NSRI)
Since 2006, it aims to create a “sustainable society.” It continues consulting
business, for both public and private sectors in Japan and abroad, combining
urban design and environmental-related engineering.

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Dealing With the “Unknown”

馬蹄寨希望小学校 Matizhai Hope Primary School
1910

Recent decades have put Japan and the world economy through difficult times, fromthe Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995) to the Leman Brothers Bankruptcy (2009), to
the Great East Japan Earthquake on March, 2011 and its related Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant disaster; not to mention global warming. The “unknown” is an
event beyond any prediction which needs immediate reaction and preparedness.
Youthful thinking and volunteer spirits may be the answer to the “unknown”; the
Nikken Group supports such volunteer activities with great expectation.
The Evacuation Map.

Since 2008, Nikken Sekkei Shanghai has worked
as a professional volunteer in reconstructing HopePrimary School in the Matizhai village in China, adeprived area with a severe climate and located in themountains. The area offers only few flatlands where
people can gather. This project aimed at making thisprimary school an invaluable public space, avoiding
the stereotypical school image and respecting
ethnic minorities who bring life to the village with
their multi-coloured traditions. We worked onstrengthening the sense of the community, andsharing our vision with local authorities and teachers.
The school was completed in April, 2013.

In 2011, right after the Great East Japan Earthquake, Nikken Sekkei invited the

Miyagi and Iwate prefectures. The task of the volunteer club was to study a realistic4-15 Matizhai Hope Primary School (2013). The
connecting bridge is covered with a pergola ofbougainvillea.

evacuation route map (Nigechizu) in collaboration with local residents. Evacuation

4-16 Children having lunch at the table-tennis tables.

routes were marked with different colours according to residents’ different ages and4-17 Traditional costumes of Huazu ethnic minority.

walking ability. This map serves as reference data to be used in case of evacuation,

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university students of the devastated areas to the Tokyo Office: a volunteer club
was immediately organized and the group was sent to the evacuation centres of

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4-18 Matizhai Hope Primary School Children andNikken Sekkei Shanghai Volunteer Team.

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and is an efficient city plan which is based upon the actual conditions andcharacteristics of the area. Nigechisu was selected as “Good Design best 100” of theGood Design Award in 2012 in Japan, and received the international highest award

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in the conjunction projects competition of the Code for Resilience, by the Global
Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.
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4-13, 4-14 Designing the Nigechizu.

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Moving Space and Structure

さいたまスーパーアリーナ Saitama Super Arena
1910

Space has always been a fascinating topic. More than 400 years ago, Galileo Galilei
observed the stars with a handmade astronomical telescope. Contemporary researchers
are exploring space and astronomical objects using massive observational equipment
like Super-Kamiokande and J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex).
In 1998, an experiment with Super-Kamiokande discovered the Neutrino, theelementary particle with the least amount of mass. To prevent cosmic rays fromdisturbing observation, Super-Kamiokande was built 1,000 metres underground,filled with 50,000 tons of ultra-pure water, and equipped with 11,129 photomultiplier

The Saitama Super Arena is a hall with oneof the highest operating rates in Japan. It
provides different space possibilities via a“moving architecture”. It has the ability tochange the size of the hall and the numberof seats to adapt the arena according to theevent. The total structure’s weight of 15,000
tons is a moving block supported by 64
carriages. It moves thanks to 20 controlled
motors and takes about 20 minutes to cover70 metres. The Saitama Super Arena design
won the MAS 2000 Award.

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tubes. Nikken Sekkei designed Super-Kamiokande’s stainless lining (coating) of the1940

massive water tank and the structure to support photomultiplier tube.
4-20 Stadium mode.

J-PARC, a high-intensity proton accelerator facility, had many problems in

4-21 Arena mode.

each phase of its planning, design and construction. Nikken Sekkei designed an

4-22 Saitama Super Arena (2000).

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accelerator tunnel, with two to five-metre-thick reinforced concrete to shieldfrom radiation and solve several other issues: adjusting to heat expansion and1960

transfiguration of the tunnel, controlling minor vibrations and sinking of the floor in

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order to install precision machinery, securing the floor’s flexibility, taking measures
for waterproofing and water leaks in underground facilities.

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Nikken Sekkei has also been
involved in other world-classleading science facilities for:1980

RIKEN (Advanced Institute for
Computational Science) andJapan’s Agency for Marine1990

Earth Science and Technology.

4-19 Super-Kamiokande, built 1000 metres underground.

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Unconstrained Frame Design

モード学園スパイラルタワーズ Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers
1910

In architecture, structural systems can be compared to the human body featuring askeleton, a respiratory system, a circulatory system, a digestive tract, and a nervous
system. For example, air-conditioning, sanitary equipment and electricity and control
systems work in that way. In addition, all different forms and shapes in a vertebrate
being provide a massive source of inspiration for revolutionary and creative structure
design in architecture. Nikken Sekkei worked in deep collaboration with its clients tocreate truly impressive design.

Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers is a building with acharacteristic spiral form. The architecture has astructural system similar to the human body. As
in bodies, the spine absorbs the rotational force,at the centre of the Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers
there is a very strong rolling structure called innertube, absorbing crooks arising in the building. Likea spine, this inner tube is filled with longitudinal
shafts (up-down swings, elevators and stairs). At
the top, there is a vibration control system which
reduces the vibration in case of an earthquake, justlike the human head.

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4-23 Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers(2008).

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ホキ美術館 Hoki Museum
1970

Japan’s first museum dedicated to realist paintings.
People can appreciate art in a 500-metre traversable
route, separated into 60-100 metre sections,and designed with a tube made of overlapping
successive gentle curves. This arc-like tube gallery
is designed with a seamless box-shaped structure,
like a crustacean’s body, where the tube steel
plates of the top are supported by two parts only.
The cantilever nose doesn’t need a pillar or afoundation pile.

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4-24 Hoki Museum (2010).

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Pursuing the Possibility of Materials

木材会館 Mokuzai Kaikan
1910

A country’s culture is also driven by the availability of local materials. While inEurope, architecture found immortality through the use of everlasting stones; Japan
has always sought permanence through replacement. Due to the use of perishable
materials like wood, or earthquakes hitting the country, reconstruction andrestoration are the core concepts for continuity.

Mokuzai Kaikan is a 7-storey office buildingin central Tokyo. The top floor is a woodenstructured hall exemplifying the attractionof standardised wood right in the centre of
the city. Its terrace, located in a recess facing
West, employs wood to block the direct
sun. The standard-size domestic lumber,processed without incombustible chemicals,received fire-resistance certification from
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism. Young trees werere-planted in the forests where trees were
cut down over a surface area of 1000 square
metres.

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4-25 Great Hall on the top floor: the wood of
the upper part is a structural frame whichallows natural light to illuminate the room.

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4-26 Terrace as a place for rest andcommunication: an outdoor unit for air
conditioning is set inside the ceiling.
4-27 Mokuzai Kaikan (2009). The amount ofwood utilised in this urban architecture
created a sensation in the news at that time.

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Learning from Life1910

In architecture, the idea of “replicating the flexibility of nature” is gaining traction in

NBF Osaki Building

order to create sustainable buildings for the present and future generations.

was inspired by the mechanism of perspiration and evaporation of sweat in humanbodies. This mimicking mechanism is called Bio Skin and was applied to the

Beijing Media Network

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building’s North-East exterior walls, presenting attached water-retentive pottery

The Beijing Media Network Building is a high-rise tower with a 180-metre atrium atpipes as shading louvers. The retained rain water circulates inside the pottery

its centre. The atrium’s 180,000 cubic metre air volume stores heat during the Winter,pipes, releasing heat through evaporation, consequently cooling down the exterior

and works as a buffer zone between the working area and the outside. In Springwalls. This is the world’s first attempt to reduce the burden of air-conditioning andand Autumn, air is captured by natural ventilation ducts around the exterior andcontribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions. Bio Skin not only cools down theemitted through the top of the atrium by stack effect. Gravity ventilation is the effectbuilding, but the surrounding city too by about 2° C, which is the equivalent of 2

that occurs when the indoor heated air becomes light and flows up. This solution

hectares of forest area.

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is similar to how the African Giant Senecio tree, which can grow at an altitude of4000 metres thanks to its empty stem, can store warm air during the day to tolerate
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temperature drops at night.

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4-28 Giant Senecio living at around 4,000 metres altitude near Mt.Kilimanjaro in Africa.

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4-29 Looking up toward the atrium, we can see the semi-circular cylinder-shaped elevator going up
and down. Building’s design with: BIAD, Bringing Chinese Culture & Chinese Dream; Radio,
Film and Television Design and Research Institute Digital R&D Centre.
4-30 Beijing Media Network (2008).
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4-31 Detail photo of exterior wall by bio skin, NBF Osaki Building (2011).
4-32 Potter tube of bio skin.

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Pursuing a Sustainable City and Architecture

ポーラ美術館 Pola Museum of Art
1910

In 2011, it was announced that the world population had exceeded 7 billion people.
According to the United Nations’ reports, cities will have to accommodate over 6 billion
people by 2050. In other words, sustainable plans for cities are becoming essential.
Tianjin Yujiapu Financial Area Development.
In China, even though the government has policies limiting the inflow of people
from farm villages to cities, the population density in the cities is not decreasing. The
Nikken Group has decided to collaborate with the Chinese state enterprises in an urban
development in Tianjin as consultants. We will put our knowledge on creating low
carbon cities and architecture to propose comprehensive methods in order to reduce
the environmental impact, like reducing consumption of local and architectural energy,
employing unused and reusable energy, creating green areas, considering biodiversity

Pola Museum of Art is nestled in the lavish
nature of Hakone among different speciesof plants, animals, birds and insects. The
desire of the clients and the team was tocreate a building with full respect of thearea. The chosen circular concrete structure
has a reduced “length of girth” minimising
its impact on the surrounding nature. An
underground circular structure allows abetter flow between two layers of water
streams (upper and lower). Since humidity
harms art, the building has been shieldedby preventing the circular tub from making
contact with the ground and situating it onearthquake resistant rubber. It looks likea space ship gently landed in the forest of
Hakone.

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and creating cool spots, improving the collection rate of waste material to 80% andreducing CO2 emission. This approach to realise the first

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world low carbon CBC (Central Business District) was
selected as the first plan for “low carbon model urban

4-36 POLA Museum of Art (2002). View over
the Sengokuhara forest in Hakone.

development” by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
4-33 Yujiapu Financial Area
Development Project(APEC).

4-37 Cross-section. The museum looks likea circular tub engineering structure
landed from the sky. The entrance is on
the top-right.

Tokyo Midtown

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Tokyo Midtown opened in 2007 as an urban complex
of 560,000 square metres in a 10.2-hectare area
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composed of shopping centres, offices, hotels, artmuseums and collective housings. The large greenery,created by consolidating city functions, produces an

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air current with a cooling effect that reduces the urban heat island

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phenomenon in Tokyo. In the aspect of supplying energy, “district
heating and cooling system” was adopted to provide hot and cold
water, and steam. The “Water heat storage system” was also adapted.
4-34 Tokyo Midtown, 2007.

4-35 Tokyo Midtown, energy supplying area.

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Integrating Culture and History

沖縄科学技術大学院大学 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
1910

Terroir is a French word often used in the wine industry which means Land. It
extends from terre, which derives from the Latin word terra meaning soil. In its
meaning, terroir includes the climate and the environment (soil, climate, landformand people) in which grapes are grown. Similarly, architecture can be read according
to local land, climate and characteristics. The following projects were born, inspiredby the climate, history and culture of the region, using modern technologies in theattempt to pursue sustainable cities that will hopefully lead to new social systems andenvironmental preservation.

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
is a world leading education and research centre.
Prior to the design, a detailed investigation was
carried out to promote coexistence with animals,
plants, water resources and the ecology of thesite—a 240-hectare virgin forest. The design wasformulated focusing on the concept of “Stone Walls
Drawing a Curve of Gusuku”, with curves following
the contours of the topography, and the natural
surroundings. Gusuku are the beautiful historicalstone walls preserved in Okinawa.

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4-38 Nakagusuku Castle’s ruin.
4-39 1st phase plan completed in 2010, in
Okinawa’s natural forests.

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蘇州電視台

Suzhou Media Network

1970

Suzhou Media Network is located in the Suzhou
Industrial Park, a modern area with convention
centres, skyscraper offices and hotels. In 2010,
Nikken Sekkei won the international architecturaldesign competition with a proposal that enhanced
the ancient double soul of Suzhou city: the silk
industry and the water city. The concept presented
two sticks covered with translucent silk fabric.
From that plan, two skyscraper towers with
continental shapes were born. Between these
two towers a multipurpose square is topped witha delicate glass roof. The exterior wall is like a
Suzhou tile and the rugged empty spaces arenatural ventilating holes to input fresh air. The
landscape design has water scenes which recall
Suzhou’s past.

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Our Point of View on Overseas Projects
1910

As an eclipse has two focal points, Nikken Sekkei’s dynamism between “Japan”

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

and “overseas” exemplifies this ecliptic geometry. As the years go on, we keep on

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is a significant historical heritage. Built in 652 (Tangdeveloping our professional services in the world, pursuing mutual understanding ofera) as a five-storey tower to store ancient scriptures, it was later reinforced anddifferent cultures.

enlarged to a 7-storey tower in 705 (Wu Zetian reign) and it is one of the few remaining

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constructions from the Tang dynasty. The main theme of its redevelopment was how

Xintiandi

to fit a Tang architectural design in the present era. The Xian Qujiang district, in

Xintiandi is an historical area in Shanghai which saw the rise of Lilong residence

charge of the development, entrusted Nikken Sekkei, whose capability was provenarchitecture, subsequent to the heavy migration of people from the countryside toin the Shanghai Xintiandi, with the master plan (for the master plan and basic plan).

the city during the Taiping Rebellion after the first Opium war in 1840.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda North Square was completed in 2005 as the first phase of
the improvement project. Its large artificial fountain lake is the face of the project andAs the former foreign settlement, the Lilong is a combination of traditional working-it creates a gradual stair-like water scape of approximately 50 metres from East to Westclass Chinese and British style homes distinctive of Shanghai. The Lilong area wasand approximately 250 metres from South to North. The reflection of Giant Wildchosen as the stage of the 1st National Congress of Communist Party of China.

Goose Pagoda North Square on the surface is simply stunning.

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In later years, the Shanghai municipal government opened a call for project ideas
to develop this historically important place. The winning proposition to preserveand renew the Lilong, seeing business opportunities for cafes, restaurants and live

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houses, was presented by Vincent Lo. Under the Lo’s leadership, Nikken Sekkei
International (the affiliate is now absorbed in Nikken Sekkei) conducted a thoroughfield investigation prior to the design, and worked on the detailed design with Tongji
University College of Architecture Design and Research Institute, as well as making
the schematic design with Wood & Zapata Office. Shanghai Xintiandi preserved thehistorical façade as much as possible, attracting visitors with its contemporary yethistorical atmosphere merging in a green central sphare.

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4-41 The commercial tenants were mainly invited from Hong Kong and an atmosphere of an
English-style Hong Kong appeared in Shanghai.
4-42 Photograph of the progressing construction: the front Lilong was demolished to create asquare.

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4-43 The master plan of the improvement project for Xian Giant Wild Goose Pagoda district.
4-44 <Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Square> opened in 2005. At first, when we designed it, weconceived of a “tranquil space for prayer” and <Giant Wild Goose Pagoda> with a wide
water surface. The right tower is <Giant Wild Goose Pagoda>, a historical architecture at
the era of Tang. The architecture stretching out under Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is <Dacien
Temple>.

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Warm City

Nikken Sekkei is also involved in several projects in Moscow, and urban design

Warm City, the new city centre of St. Petersburg metropolitan area, was decided toprojects are also developing in Krasnoyarsk, Nizhny Novgorod.

be set where the North side road meets the Gulf of Finland. This area is about 20
kilometres from the centre of the city and is now a traditional resort district. The

Ho Chi Minh City Urban Planning

starting point of its planning respected St. Petersburg’s original plan: concentric rings

The former Saigon has streets laid out in a grid-like urban structure, built in theof multiple canals and radial roads. However, after Nikken Sekkei joined in the plan, aFrench colonial period. Like Hanoi, it preserves a strong historical atmosphere. Hodramatic change was made: a “grand canal”, which penetrates the new city from East to

Chi Minh City, the centre of politics, economy and culture in Southern Vietnam, is

West, appeared. This “grand canal” made the whole of the plan clear, and accelerated

now the country’s largest metropolis with a population of 6 million inhabitants. As

the creation of attraction throughout the city.

the population is rapidly increasing, it suffers from a number of urban problems:congestion, deterioration of the living environment, rising land price and sprawling.

Due to its position, Warm City was planned to be built by filling up the sea of

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Without any plan, the situation can only worsen.

wetlands using a box body construction method. Instead of filling in the sea withearth and sand, this method sinks large concrete boxes in the sea and connects them

In 2006, the Ho Chi Minh City Government People’s Committee commissioned

one another. The natural energy from the underground space between the boxes was

Nikken Sekkei to make the master plan for the total 2000 square kilometres urban

suggested by Nikken Sekkei to be used to warm up the harsh St. Petersburg’s Winter:

city area. As more than 50 % of the city area is less than 2 metres above the sea

the collected solar heat is kept in an underground thermal storage tank, to bank heat inlevel, the geographical condition limits the proper urban development of the land.

Summer and release it during the Winter.

Nikken Sekkei then suggested a poly-nuclear distributed urban structure, linked with

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transportation infrastructure based on the terrain conditions. In order to channel the
Another characteristic of the underground is its thermal stability over the four seasons:urban growth in the right direction, guidelines for land use were strategically madethe temperature doesn’t vary greatly. The geothermal utilization suggested by Nikken

in detail. Furthermore, the development of a city transportation system was proposed

Sekkei releases warm air in Winter and cold air in the Summer. These methods areto cause minimal environmental burden, reduce the air pollution, help the formation

helpful not only to save energy cost but also to reduce CO2 emission, the main cause ofof a city landscape and the creation of prosperity.

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global warming.
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However, the box body construction method is not only about cutting emission:pedestrians can enjoy the natural well-lit underground network, which is connected toatriums on the ground all year and under different weather conditions. Parking lots are

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also built underground to prevent cars from breaking down due to the extreme cold.
Spacious landscapes full of green are then made possible above ground.

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4-45 Warm City, a resort type multi-function complex city. In Summer, people can approach thearea by speed boat from Water Plaza, located close to the Hermitage Museum.

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4-46 The underground network for pedestrians, illuminated by natural light, is connected to thegalleria and atrium of each building. Gallerias and atriums are shown in brown.
4-47 Bird’s eye view of the urban project. Proposed in the respect of the Ho Chi Minh’s urban structure.
4-48 Creating a comfortable space for pedestrians with connecting greenery shade. A newtransportation system (LRT) runs through a preserved and renewed historical townscape.
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1900

ベトナム国立歴史博物館 The National Museum of History Vietnam

4-49 Design inspired by the Vietnamese legend which sets the origins of the Vietnamese people
in the marriage between a dragon and a fairy. Water is essential to a dragon. The lowtemperature of the lake’s water is used for air-cooler as natural energy.
4-50 Residences of Batak Simalungun in Sumatra. The lower part of the residence has structure
recalling the southern-style log houses.

The National Museum of History Vietnam is planned to be located in the West part of a newurban area designated for 2020 in Ho Tay, west area of Hanoi. In 2007, Nikken Sekkei won thearchitectural design competition held by the government of Vietnam. The total floor space isaround 88,000 square metres and only one kind of construction material/method was planned
to be used as the basis. The structure was made by piling numerous eave-shaped materials madeof concrete; this typical Asian method comfortably protects the large inside space from Asian
Monsoon and strong sunshine. The inside was designed to allow the view of all functions fromalong the centre axis of the building. In adapting the concept of Feng Shui and using naturalenergy, Nikken Sekkei considered the water of the artificial lake, on which the museum ofhistory floats, as essential to create harmony. The design is a tribute to Vietnam’s history and thearchitecture fits gracefully with the surroundings.

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4-51 Perspective drawing of the National Museum of History Vietnam recalling the legend of therising golden dragon.
4-52 Concrete pre-casting material assembled like a log house is firmly connected with PC steel material.
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With the People of the Modern Islamic Society

イスラム開発銀行本部ビル Islamic Development Bank Headquarters
1910

In 1899 a Japanese book was published in the U.S. and then translated into Arabic,
Persian and Indonesian and read by people from Islamic cultures. This Japanese isInazo Nitobe’s “Bushido: The Soul of Japan.” This work is said to have something incommon with the Islamic world, where doctrine is the foundation of every aspectof society, including the economy. “Rectitude”, “Sincerity” and “Benevolence” areimportant virtues in Islam, just as in “Bushido”. When Nikken Sekkei proceeds the
projects in Islamic countries, we always respect the Islamic culture and society.

Islamic Development Bank Headquarters was establishedin 1973 as a foundation of the mutual aid system based on
the Sharia, and now it is providing development assistancein more than 50 Islamic countries. The structure includes
two independent functions serving as a bank headquarters
and research and training facilities, integrated under alarge roof. The light seeps in from a symbolic window
with Islamic pattern like lattice work. The thick outerwall, which is characteristic of Islamic architecture, andthe design theme of a spacious inner light garden reflect
concepts and customs unique to Islamic architecture.
Islamic Development Bank Headquarters is now theregional landmark and the symbol of “mutual aid” rooted
in the Islamic doctrine.

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4-53 Islamic Development Bank
Headquarters (1993)

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タダウル・タワー Tadawul Tower

1970

Tadawul Tower is one of the five core buildings in theKing Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), in Riyadh.
As keeping a unified crystalline “facet” was a mandatory
requirement for this project. Nikken Sekkei’s proposal,
selected in 2010, included an improved version of low-e
glass technology with high performance heat insulation:
three panels of glass equipped with small horizontal finswere used to shelter the windows from direct sunlight.
The project is on track to receive LEED (Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design) Gold level certification,and has diverse functions: a forum. The external
appearance reminds us of an elegant crystal.

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4-54 Tadawul Tower(Scheduled for 2018)

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Japanese Architectural Culture and Traditional
Craftsmanship Handed Down into Modern Times

京都迎賓館 Kyoto State Guest House
1910“Kyoto” holds special meaning for Japanese people. The aesthetic sense has beendeveloped and refined for more than 1,200 years: architecture, food, clothing, andmanners have become forms of art unique in our culture.

Kyoto State Guest House is an example of Japanese traditional architecture assembled
with modern technology. Completed in 2005, it aims to welcome international guests
wholeheartedly, making them experience the strong connection between Japanese people andnature. An integrated space of gardens and architecture was created, connecting the garden
and the inside space with deep eaves making the garden float in and out of sight. The designidea was based the creation of a flat building with a large hanging roof. The shape of the roof
plays an important role, making the building appear to be composed of only the garden and theroof. The main structure is made of steel frames and reinforced concrete, while the traditional
wooden components (eave and “component material”) were assembled to realize a proportionof Japan-specific delicate space. The roof surface is dark green (the colour of nickel oxide) andthe finishing is harmonized with the surrounding greenery coming from the Kyoto Imperial
Palace. Pressured complex metal material of nickel and stainless steel is employed for roofing.
The overall harmony was effectively fulfilled with delicate care towards every detail, using alimited variety of materials and modern technologies by traditional craftsmanship. The Japanesetradition of appreciating the aesthetic of simplicity, was fulfilled.

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4-55 Dining room: the light apparatus of the ceiling has 15 patterns of Mino paper and Japanesecedar. The length of a horizontal timber beam is 22 metres.
4-56 The Japanese ship was made by a marukobuneship carpenter, the last of his kind. This type ofJapanese traditional wooden ship was predominant in Edo era.

1990

4-57 Sliding door needle-works made by traditional craftsmen. Also appointed as a craftsman tomake a needle work art piece as a present to Emperor and Empress.
4-58 Gold leaf-shaped artwork made by a craftsman recognized as Living National Treasure.
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4-59 Kyoto State Guesthouse, garden corridor bridge.
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1900

兵庫県立芸術文化センター Hyogo Performing Arts Center

地球環境戦略研究機関 Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
1910

The Hyogo Performing Arts Center was completed asa symbol of the reconstruction of hearts and culture
after the Great Hanshin earthquake on January 17th,
1995. For the design, materials were limited to wood,bricks, concrete and glass in order to respect the souls
lost in the quake; excessive finish and meaningless form
were thus avoided. The spaces of the large hall with
about 2,000 seats and the small hall with about 400,
were clad with solid mahogany wood, which excites thehearts of audience and players. Solid Japanese cedar
wood with flat grain made in Hyogo Prefecture wasused for the middle hall with about 800 seats to create
unique presence. On the other hand, the exterior wall
was made by piling large 500,000 pieces of brick with
uneven firing spots to create a profound atmosphere.
The pillars of the building, slender like those of
traditional wooden temples, were built with precast
concrete and high-strength concrete, and piano steel
wire was used to give a pre-tension.

4-60 Hyogo Performing Arts Center(2005)

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
conducts problem-solving research and policy
recommendation addressing climate change,energy issues and the creation of a sustainable
society. In 2002, its headquarters was completed
on Hayama hill, surrounded by greenery andoverlooking Mt. Fuji. The institute was designed
to be a prototype of environmental architecturein harmony with the research conducted there.
The building draws a large arch along the viewthat spreads to the West. Its important featureis the rhythmical vertical louver made ofrecycled wood and “light shelf ” freely locatedon it. The sunshine streaming to the upper
part of the “light shelf ” is led indoors as gentle
reflected light, and it provides the 70% of therequired light. In addition, the vertical louver
can shade most of the afternoon sun load,
while preserving its great views. As a tribute toJapanese traditional architecture, shitomido andshoji connect the indoors and the outdoors.

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4-62 The projecting edge of the building
and the light shelf like a flying bird.

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4-63 Standing on a hill in Shonan
Village. 2002.
4-64 The exterior view.
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4-61 The opening concert held in the large hall (October 2005)

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Technology and the Sense of Aesthetic Beyond Space and Time
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東京スカイツリー TOKYO SKYTREE

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SM

In 2003, six Tokyo broadcasting operators requested a new tower taller than 600 metres. Tobu
Railway site was chosen among several candidates and the land changed from a freight train yard
into a tower for providing information widely. It can be said that, TOKYO SKYTREE , completed
in 2012, is an architecture that connects Edo, pre-war and post-war eras with the future.
SM

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Photo by Ryota Atarashi

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Bringing Together Modern Technologies, Challenge Height and Site Condition“Shape” and “Colour” by the Japanese Traditional Sense of Aesthetic

In deciding the design of an over 600-metre tower, the long and thin shape of the site

In architecture, entasis is the application

was the crucial factor. Usually, the wider the area, the better the structural conditionof a convex curve to a surface for aesthetic

is. In this particular case, a triangle can reach the longest length side, while a circularpurposes. It’s like a little bump. This

plan allows an all-around view from the observation deck; the unique design of aform is produced considering the visual

tower with triangle plan gradually changing into a circular one to was created. The

depth, cambers, and bow curves. TOKYO

complex three-dimensional curve required the development of much more difficult

SKYTREE has a slight appearance of an

structural technologies than those used for conventional steel structures.

entasis, referring to the curved shape of old

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SM

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temples’ rooves, or swords. Its colour alsoSM

The design and construction of TOKYO SKYTREE saw the introduction of thereflects the Japanese sense of beauty: it is the“Centre Column Vibration Control System”: the tower, as a hybrid, was completed

lightest shade of indigo blue and it has beenwith a peripheral steel frame and a cylindrical core of reinforced concrete for thenamed “SKYTREE white.”

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SM

main body. These two structural elements are basically isolated from each other, and

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a vibration control system works as a “weight.” In the case of a strong earthquake orwind, the centre column “weight” sways with a slight difference in timing from theLandscape Beyond Time and Space

overall steel truss structure. The time difference between the vibration of the steel

On the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake (March 11th, 2011), transportation

truss structure and concrete column weight enable them offset each other and reducein Tokyo stopped and many people had to find a different way home, even walking.

the vibration of the whole tower.

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SM

TOKYO SKYTREE , which was reassuringly standing still against the sky, served
as a point of reference in Tokyo, like a lighthouse. One week later, it reached its final
height of 634 metres, as well as the heart of many people.

Like traditional centred wooden

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column towers in Japan, the centre
column was structurally isolated
from the peripheral layered frame

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called cylindrical body. In the later
cases of wooden towers, the lowest

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part of the centre column was set
directly on the ground base stones.

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The tower consists of an outer steel truss frame and a centre column, firmly fixed with eachother at the lower part. In the upper part of the tower, the two are separated, ranging from
GL+125m to GL+375 m, in order to behave independently when hit by an earthquake.
Elastic oil dampers connect the two: the motion of these two elements under seismic force
offset each other to function as large stabilizer.

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Centre Column Vibration Control System.

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<Daigo-ji Pagoda>. Built in 951. The bottom part of the center column only put on thefoundation stone. The height is about 38 metres.

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Night view with Iki illumination. Iki in Japanese means spirit.

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Night view with Miyabi illumination. Miyabi represents the Japanese aesthetic.

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TOKYO SKYTREE has a similarstyle and it is put on an antiseismic rubber bearing isolator,
which is replaceable in the future.

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クレジット明治時代 The Meiji Era (P.9 – P.15)

平成時代 The Heisei Era ( P.45 – P.83)

Credits

Sumitomo Historical Archives / 1-1, 1-2, 1-5, 1-10

Photo by SS Tokyo / 4-2, 4-8

Architectural Institution of Japan, 1915.

Photo by Shinozawa Architecture Photograph Office / 4-3, 4-62

“Journal of Architecture and Building Science”. Vol.29, No.347 / 1-3

Photo by Akihisa Miwa Architecture Photograph Office / 4-4, 4-22, 4-63, 4-64

Katsuhiko Sakamoto, Akihisa Matsuda (photographs), 1980.

Provide: Kamioka Observatory, ICRR The University of Tokyo / 4-19

“Japanese Architectures: Meiji, Taisho, Showa <5> The Design of Mercantile Cities”.
Sanseido Co., Ltd. / 1- 4

Kenichi Suzuki Photograph Office / 4-23

Photo by Shiyo Kawai / 1-6, 1-8

Photo by Nacasa & Partners Inc. / 4-25

Yutaka Hidaka (editor), 1920. “Dr. Noguchi’s Architectural Drawings Collection”.
Yutaka Hidaka. / 1-7, 1-9, 1-13

Photo by Harunori Noda [Gankosha] / 4-26, 4-27, 4-31

Botond Bognar, 2000. Nikken Sekkei: Building Future Japan 1900–2000.
Rizzoli International Publications. / 1-11, 1-12

Photo by Minoru Iwasaki / 4-29, 4-30

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1910

Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai / 4-24
1920

Provide: Koki Yoneda /4-28

Provide: Tianjin Innovative Finance Investment Co., Ltd. / 4-33
Kawasumi Architecture Photograph Office / 4-34

大正時代 The Taisho Era ( P.17 – P.25)

1930

Photo by Mamoru Ishiguro / 4-36

Kenneth Frampton (ed.), Botond Bognar, 1990. Nikken Sekkei: Building Modern Japan 1900–1990.
New York: Princeton Architectural Press. / 2-2

Wikimedia Commons (File: Nakagusuku Castl40n3104.jpg, Author: 663highland, License:
GFDL+creative commons2.5) / 4-38

Sumitomo Bank (editor), 1998. “Sumitomo Bank 100-year History”. Sumitomo Bank History Compile
Committee. / 2-3

Photo by Kiyohiko Higashide / 4-39

The Mainichi Newspaper Co., Ltd. Osaka, 1923. “The Great Kanto Earthquake”. The Mainichi
Newspaper Co., Ltd. Osaka. / 2-4

Provide: Katsuaki Aonuma /4-42

Reference –“The mock painted picture of the great Osaka in Taisho 13”. Digital map. / 2-7

Photo by Richard Bryant / 4-53

Photo by Shiyo Kawai / 2-9

Photo by Studio Murai / 4-55, 4-56, 4-57, 4-58, 4-59

“Architecture and Society”. November 1, 1935. The Architectural Association of Japan. / 2-10, 2-11

Photo by Kiyohiko Higashide Photograph Office / 4-60, 4-61

Photo by Kiyohiko Higashide / 2-13, 2-14

Photo by Ryota Atarashi / 4-68, 4-69

Except for above Nikken Sekkei Ltd.

Except for above Nikken Sekkei Ltd.

1940

Provide: Shuji Funo /4-50

昭和時代 The Showa Era ( P.27 – P.43)

1950

1960

Shigeo Aoki, 2007. “Osaka in Showa: Nostalgia of Various Towns”. Archives Publishing Co., Ltd. / 3-1
Wikimedia Commons (File:1945-3-10-2.jpg, Author: Rekishi-JAPAN, License: Public domain) / 3-2
Photo by Akio Kawasumi / 3-5
Tokyo Institute of Technology Yasuda Koichi Laboratory / 3-6

1970

NIKKEN SEKKEI, 1970. “20-year History”. NIKKEN SEKKEI / 3-7
Nikken Sekkei Komu, 1962. “Memorial Porthole for 10th Anniversary”. Nikken Sekkei Komu Co., Ltd. / 3-8
Nagoya TV Tower / 3-9
PORT OF KOBE JAPAN Co., Ltd. / 3-11

1980

Photo by Taira Photo / 3-13
Photo by Osamu Murai / 3-16
Photo by Taisuke Ogawa / 3-17
Photo by Photo Corporation Professional / 3-20

1990

Photo by Kiyohiko Higashide / 3-21
Photo by Kanaaki Monma / 3-23
Osaka City Association / 3-25
Except for above Nikken Sekkei Ltd.

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あとがき
Epilogue

A pupil of the haiku poet master Basho once said: “something unaltered overthousands of years” and “something altered according to the change of era andenvironment”, have the same origin. It is the concept between “permanent andtemporary.”
This is the spirit of Nikken Sekkei.
This book represents Nikken Sekkei as one “Life”, narrating its story from birth tothe present. One chapter after another, we felt Nikken Sekkei grow along with themodernization of Japan. Our pledge for the future is to keep pursing the required
values in a new era, under an ever-changing society.
This book wouldn’t have been possible without the help of many people, and the
instruction and the support from Teruaki Sueoka, vice-president at Sumitomo
Historical Archives. I conclude this epilogue with grateful acknowledgements tothem.
Kazuhisa Hayashi, Nikken Sekkei Ltd. Adviser
2015, Spring.

*Kazuhisa Hayashi, Nikken Sekkei Adviser at the time of the first publication.

A Journey Through Our First 115 Years of History[Written by]
Kazuhisa Hayashi, Nikken Sekkei Adviser

All rights reserved and replication of the articles,
photographs, illustrations listed in this document.

©2018 Nikken Sekkei Ltd.