Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2025
Yokohama Symphostage Complex Building
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Obayashi Corporation
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 20,524
- Verification code BF85707A35 · Verify this award
About Yokohama Symphostage Complex Building
Yokohama Symphostage is a mixed-use complex building located in Minato Mirai, Yokohama, Japan. The building has a total floor area of about 183,000 square meters and contains offices, a hotel and shops. Yokohama Symphostage is connected to the pedestrian network that links central Yokohama with the surrounding areas. Two pedestrian routes cross the site and are joined by a multi-layered plaza with public facilities for gathering during events and disasters. Simulations of wind, sunlight and pedestrian flow guided the design of each space.
Positioned within the continuum of contemporary architectural practice, this building complex represents a thoughtful synthesis of urban pragmatism and formal refinement that engages meaningfully with established traditions of tower design while articulating a distinctive visual identity appropriate to its metropolitan context. The ensemble demonstrates sophisticated manipulation of the glass curtain wall system, deploying vertical elements at varying densities and tonal values to create differentiated readings across what might otherwise register as monolithic commercial volumes. The principal tower's facade treatment suggests careful consideration of how repetitive elements can generate visual interest through subtle modulation, with the alternating rhythm of mullions creating an effect that evokes comparisons to serialist composition or the measured cadences of minimalist aesthetic strategies. The architectural language speaks to an understanding of how transparency and reflection operate dynamically across diurnal cycles, with the overcast conditions captured here revealing the building's capacity to absorb and moderate ambient light rather than creating harsh reflections. Particularly notable is the handling of the tower's crown, where a projecting horizontal element introduces welcome variety to the composition while providing practical sun-shading functions. The integration of landscape elements at street level demonstrates awareness of how architecture meets the ground and engages pedestrian experience, with young trees and planted areas softening the transition between public realm and private development. The overall impression suggests a design philosophy attentive to both immediate visual impact and longer-term urban contribution, where architectural ambition serves rather than dominates its context. Viewers might contemplate how contemporary practice negotiates between the imperatives of density and the desire for humane urban environments, finding in this example evidence of thoughtful mediation between competing demands.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This is a complex with a total floor area of approx. 180,000 m2 and connected to the pedestrian network, an important infrastructure linking central Yokohama and its surrounding areas.Located on a site intersected by two key pedestrian axis which connect the Minato Mirai district to surrounding areas. Historically disconnected, these pedestrian spaces are revitalized and interconnected through a multi-layered plaza and lively public facilities where people can gather during events and disasters.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Location : Minato Mirai, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan
Use : Office,Hotel,Store
Construction period : April 2021 - March 2024
Site area : 20,620.58 m2
Building area : 14,723.65 m2
Total floor area : 182,937.70 m2
Number of floors : 1 story below fround,30 floors
Maximum Height : West Building:158.633m , East Building: 89.733m
Structure : steel construction (part of columns, cft construction)partially steel-framed reinforced concrete construction. - Tags
- Architecture, Pedestrian, Plaza, Seascape, Simulation, Sustainability, BELS, ZEB, Obayashi
- Production Technology
- The multi-layered plaza was planned using simulations for wind, sunlight, and pedestrian flow to optimize each space for its intended use. The large glass roofs adjust the environment of semi-outdoor spaces.For the office areas, solar simulations led to the exterior wall design to achieve an optimal balance of sunlight for air conditioning and lighting efficiency. Automated control of jalousie windows and blinds further integrates environmental factors into a comfortable working environment.
- Design Challenge
- Achieving Cost-Effective Energy Savings and Decarbonization with Advanced Design Methods
The project utilized advanced heat load simulations (EcoSimule) to strategically incorporate features such as double-skin curtain walls, solar shading fins, and energy-efficient air conditioning systems selected for their cost-effectiveness. As a result, the project efficiently achieved BELS 5-star, ZEB Ready, and CASBEE Yokohama S-rank certifications. - Project Duration
- Location : Minato Mirai, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan
Construction period : April 2021 - March 2024 - Operation Flow
- The main circulation paths traverse the first and second floors of the site, with vibrant public facilities concentrated in the lower levels. Adjacent multi-layered plazas are tailored to the characteristics of these facilities, designed to allow indoor activities to blend seamlessly with the outdoors. These spaces aim to amplify and diffuse activities across external areas and other floors.
- Research
- The project deployed unique methodologies exclusive to our Technical Research Institute. Wind environment simulations covering the entire area validated the minimal impact on the environment. This confirmed the utility of high-rise terraces, and natural ventilation systems. Additional achievements included evacuation planning through comprehensive safety assessments, acoustic environment simulations for complex geometries, and the creation of organically shaped benches by 3D printing.
- Inspiration
- Taking advantage of the strengths of a consortium involving several business owners, the public facility is a developed sterically space with multiple uses being developed in an organic organizational manner, with each business owner taking charge of the programs in which they excel.The plaza is used for various lively events, including music events hosted by Yokohama City and Yamaha, creating an environment where people naturally gather.
- Image Credits
- Photographer
Image#1,#5: Naomichi Sode (SS Co., Ltd)
Image#2,#3,#4: Shinkenchiku-sha
Colors of Yokohama Symphostage Complex Building
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