john szot studio: shibuya tower

'shibuya tower' by john szot studio, tokyo, japan
all images courtesy john szot studio


brooklyn-based firm john szot studio has designed 'shibuya tower', a residential block for the shibuya ward of tokyo, japan.
the city's longstanding guidelines for urban planning have led to an intimate connection within the built environment, either adding
to existing structures or continuously surpassing and concealing smaller buildings. responding to the sporadic and choatic growth
of the urban fabric, the external appearance and internal arrangement intends to encapsulate the large scale development patterns
into a singular microcosmic element.



exterior


a variety of housing typologies were randomly arranged with computer-aided design techniques to create an unpredictable and
emergent spatial organization. a loose set of parameters allowed the system to distribute the units freely, sans logical reasoning
imposed by an architectural mindset. paired with their unique external expression, a landscape of ill-matched facades required
local small-scale resolution to join their differences, generating unique internal experiences between occupants and their
outward views. the range of apartment sizes allows individuals of diverse economic status to live in close proximity to each other,
rejecting the typical patterns found in urban areas and supporting lively and dynamic communities.



kitchen



yoga room



studio



bathroom



small bathroom



penthouse lounge during the day



penthouse lounge at night



floor plan / level 0



floor plan / level 1



floor plan / level 2



programmatic diagram