Fukuoka is the ''Venice of Japan,'' with heavy rainfall and canals criss-crossing the city. People use underground tunnels to go from building to building without getting wet. The retail store was losing business because people were shopping in stores within the subway station rather than walk outside a few blocks in the rain to its building. The solution was to build an underground passageway consisting of three suspended ''bridges,'' of shimmering steel, cable, and glass, that appear to span water. Indeed, sounds of water play in the background.
Customers seem to like the surprise.
The bridges guide people directly into Iwataya's basement shops, and their elegance meshes with the store's own modern style. It wanted a new building in a less expensive location with open spaces to bring its employees together, plus a retail store to act as a working laboratory for merchandising and design concepts. Retaining employees in the move was also important. The company got all of that and more. Using the kinds of materials and products already in its retail stores, architects built a light-filled, comfortable working environment.