Shibuya Tsutaya Cumplessu Cummerciale by Tonerico:Inc.

Shibuya Tsutaya Cumplessu Cummerciale by Tonerico:Inc. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award d'Argentu in Disignu d'Interiori Competition Category.

ArgentuInteriori· 2026

Shibuya Tsutaya Cumplessu Cummerciale

by Tonerico:Inc.

A' Design Award d'Argentu Winner in Interiori Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Shibuya Tsutaya Cumplessu Cummerciale

Shibuya Tsutaya hè un cumplessu cummerciale situatu à u Crucivia di Shibuya in Tokyo. U bastimentu hè statu spugliatu finu à u so scheletru strutturale, è i spazii nudi sò stati unificati cù materiali grisgi per furmà una tela neutra. Ognunu di i dui livelli sutterranei è di i sette piani superiori hà u so propiu caratteru, ma ogni zona hè lasciata vulintariamente micca finita per permette cambiamenti futuri. L'elementi micca essenziali sò stati eliminati per creà linee di vista chjare è una circulazione simplice. Circa 500 posti à pusà è annuarii digitali servenu i visitatori, è un grande screnu nantu à a facciata mostra nutizie è infurmazioni nantu à l'eventi.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Argentu

Shibuya Tsutaya Cumplessu Cummerciale hè un vincitore di u premiu A' Design Award d'Argentu, una ricunniscenza straordinariamente prestigiosa attribuita à i disegni di alta gamma, splendidi è impressiunanti. I vincitori d'Argentu sò opere tremendamente brillanti è estremamente creative chì illustranu l'espertisa, u talentu è l'acutezza eccezziunali di i so disegnatori. Si aspetta chì Shibuya Tsutaya Cumplessu Cummerciale sia una opera maravigliosa di mostra, rimarchevulemente prufessiunale è prufondamente innuvatrice. Stu disegnu vincitore di u premiu A' Design Award d'Argentu hè una invenzione assai nutevule è ammirata chì benefizia è allarga i limiti di l'arte, di a scienza, di u disegnu è di a tecnulugia. Shibuya Tsutaya Cumplessu Cummerciale hè una creazione assai invidiata chì evoca disideri, introduce sentimenti pusitivi è accende stupore è maraviglia.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Shibuya TSUTAYA was stripped down to its structural skeleton, with the raw space unified in gray materials to create contrast with later-added elements and to preserve an “unfinished” canvas throughout the building.
While each floor maintains its unique character, no area is ever fully designed—each is intentionally left open-ended. This deliberate unfinished incompleteness suggests the potential for future transformation.
Dimensions & Packaging: On the first floor, the entrance was widened by adjusting the angle of the sash doors, and a secondary entrance was added on the Center-Gai shopping street side along the diagonal axis.
To accommodate the building's complex layout, comprising two basement levels and seven floors above ground, and its reliance on escalators for vertical circulation, all non-essential elements beyond regulatory requirements were removed to create a clear, connected spatial flow with uninterrupted sightlines.
Tags: Shibuya, TSUTAYA, Renewal, Unfinished Space, Skeletonization, Flexible Space, Commercial Facility, Visual Connectivity, Dynamic Design, Evolving City
Production Technology: To maximize the floor area on every level, the core zones—including back-of-house spaces—were organized so that, even in their bare state, they serve as a neutral spatial backdrop.
Alongside this structural skeletonization, the bare spaces were unified with gray materials to distinguish them from the elements inserted later, intentionally leaving a gray “canvas” throughout the space.
Design Challenge: Since visitors come from diverse countries and regions, the circulation plan needed to be intuitive and encourage proactive movement.
Additionally, to facilitate information access within the facility, strategically placed digital directories provide updates using minimal text and strong visuals—benefiting users while also easing operational demands.
Research: Shibuya is a town where people from many different countries, regions, and generations come and go. Therefore, we conducted thorough research on the surrounding area. We surveyed people in the town to learn what they currently need and what is lacking, and we reflected these findings in the floor layout. For example, many respondents noted a lack of places to rest, so we decided to include approximately 500 seats in the facility.
Inspiration: Shibuya is a hub of creative energy—constantly evolving, and defined by its openness to change and its allure as an unfinished city. This nature inspired the project’s core concept: “leaving space unfinished.”
The concept took years to develop, beginning with a full structural reset to explore the site's potential. Located directly at Shibuya Crossing, the design reimagines how the space can respond to the present moment and act as a new cultural platform.
Project Duration: The project was launched in Tokyo on March 5, 2021, and opened in Shibuya, Tokyo on April 25, 2024.
Operation Flow: Situated at the iconic Shibuya Crossing—where approximately 500,000 people pass daily—the building’s façade features a large LED screen designed for visibility from multiple angles.
This screen continually broadcasts not only in-house event updates but also news and timely advertisements, transforming the architecture into a dynamic hub that connects the city, its people, and businesses.
Team Members: Hiroshi Yoneya
Ken Kimizuka
Kai Kitahara
Momo Suzuki
Image Credits: Main Image: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #1: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.