Komazawa Daigaku 鉄道駅 by Uds Ltd. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銀賞 in 建築・建物・構造物デザイン Competition Category.
銀建築· 2026
Komazawa Daigaku 鉄道駅
by Uds Ltd.
Client: UDS Ltd.
A' Design Award 銀賞 Winner in 建築 Category
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About Komazawa Daigaku 鉄道駅
駒沢大学は、東京・世田谷の駒沢公園の地下に位置する、リニューアルされた鉄道駅である。「アンダー・ザ・パーク」というコンセプトのもと、地下コンコースを根、出入口の建物を象徴的な樹木として捉えている。駅の構成要素は、永続する土木構造、経年変化する樹木、更新される葉という3つの時間軸によって分類されている。既存のタイルやテラゾー床を保存することで廃棄物を削減し、国産木材を採用した。金属質の天井塗装により木漏れ日のような光の効果を生み出している。ベンチやカウンターは、人々に休息と出会いの場を提供する。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 銀賞
Komazawa Daigaku 鉄道駅は、見事で印象的なハイエンドのデザインに授与される、非常に権威ある評価である A' Design Award 銀賞の受賞作品です。銀賞の受賞作品は、きわめて輝かしく創造性に富んだ作品であり、デザイナーの傑出した専門知識、才能、洞察力を示しています。Komazawa Daigaku 鉄道駅は、素晴らしい代表作であり、驚くほどプロフェッショナルで、深く革新的であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 銀賞を受賞したデザインは、非常に注目すべき称賛される発明であり、芸術・科学・デザイン・技術の境界に寄与し、それを前進させます。Komazawa Daigaku 鉄道駅は、多くの人に羨まれる創造物であり、欲求を呼び覚まし、前向きな感情をもたらし、驚きと感嘆を灯します。
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This project's uniqueness is its "Under the Park" concept, which creates a consistent narrative for the entire space: the underground concourse is envisioned as the town's "roots," and the buildings as "symbolic trees." Furthermore, a unique design methodology redefines the station via three timescales: "permanent earthworks," "aging Trees," and "renewing leaves." This presents a new vision for an adaptable station designed to be loved long-term.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Total Floor Area:
Underground Station Concourse: Approx. 6,500 sqm (RC structure, 2 floors below ground)
East Exit Building: 564.34 sqm (RC structure, 4 stories above ground)
West Exit Building 1: 398.58 sqm (Steel structure, 2 stories above ground)
West Exit Building 2: 346.80 sqm (Timber and partial RC structure, 4 stories above ground, 2 floors below ground) - Tags
- Renovation, Station, Sustainability, Timber, AdaptiveReuse, Narrative, PublicSpace, Biophilic, Placemaking, Tokyo
- Production Technology
- This project’s realization is driven by sustainability. We minimized waste by preserving existing tiles and terrazzo floors, while using domestic timber for its warmth and environmental benefits. The West Exit building, in a fire protection district, pioneers advanced timber tech like LVL fire-resistant coating and a two-way rigid-frame structure (rare in Japan). A special metallic ceiling coating creates a unique komorebi (dappled sunlight) effect.
- Design Challenge
- Our greatest challenge was maintaining the consistency of the "Under the Park" concept across a four-year project with diverse work areas and many stakeholders. Amidst fragmented on-site decisions, our "Earthworks, Trees, and Leaves" design guideline served as the core guiding principle to return to. Additionally, realizing a timber station building in a fire protection district was a major external challenge, requiring us to overcome strict legal regulations and technical constraints.
- Research
- This practical research aimed to translate the given "Under the Park" concept into a sustainable space, creating new value for aging infrastructure. Our methodology was to develop the "Earthworks, Trees, and Leaves" model, which classifies station components by three timescales. Based on this model, we selected materials and composed the space, prototyping advanced timber technology in one building. The expected social impact is increased user dwell time, fostering affection for the station.
- Inspiration
- The primary source of inspiration for this project is its very location: "under Komazawa Park." We were strongly motivated by the desire to transform the aging, inorganic underground space—a place people have used daily for over 45 years—into a more comfortable and cherished environment. Therefore, we placed the "park," a quintessential landscape shared by all local residents, at the core of our concept. We envisioned that just as the trees in the park extend their roots underground to support their lush forms above, the station could also become like a living organism—absorbing, nurturing, and radiating the town's vitality. This poetic vision of "Under the Park" became the driving force behind the entire design.
- Project Duration
- This project was implemented at Komazawa-daigaku Station in Setagaya, Tokyo, as the first phase of the "Green Under Ground" renewal project by Tokyu Railways Co., Ltd. The schematic design phase began in August 2020, and the overall construction period for the station runs from July 2020 to March 2025. Completion is on April 1, 2025.
- Operation Flow
- Visitors are guided by the "Symbolic Tree"-like station buildings into the "Under the Park" world. Descending warm, trunk-like staircases, a space unfolds resembling the roots of a park, seemingly bathed in dappled sunlight. This functions not merely as a path to the trains, but as a "garden" for people to spend time as they wish. Intentionally placed benches and counters invite users to linger, meet or rest, generating a new, personal interaction with the station itself.
- Team Members
- Designer: Keiichi Ito
Designer: Yayoi Sato
Designer: Seshiro Honda
Graphic Designer: Yutaro Sakurai - Image Credits
- Image #1 : TOKYU CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD., 2025
Optional Image #1 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #2 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #3 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #4 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #5 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
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