Komazawa Daigaku 철도역 by Uds Ltd. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 은상 in 건축, 건물 및 구조물 디자인 Competition Category.
은건축· 2026
Komazawa Daigaku 철도역
by Uds Ltd.
Client: UDS Ltd.
A' Design Award 은상 Winner in 건축 Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #173965The Design
About Komazawa Daigaku 철도역
고마자와다이가쿠역은 도쿄 세타가야의 고마자와 공원 아래에 자리한 리뉴얼된 철도역이다. '언더 더 파크(Under the Park)' 콘셉트는 지하 콘코스를 뿌리로, 출입구 건물을 상징적인 나무로 해석한다. 역의 구성 요소는 세 가지 시간 척도, 즉 영구적인 토목 구조물, 세월을 머금는 나무, 그리고 새로이 돋아나는 잎으로 구분된다. 기존의 타일과 테라조 바닥을 보존해 폐기물을 줄였으며, 국산 목재를 사용했다. 금속성 천장 도장은 나뭇잎 사이로 스며드는 햇빛과 같은 얼룩진 빛의 효과를 자아낸다. 벤치와 카운터는 사람들이 머무르고 만나도록 이끈다.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 은상
Komazawa Daigaku 철도역, 이 작품은 A' Design Award 은상 수상작으로, 최상급이며 아름답고 인상적인 디자인에 수여되는 비범하게 권위 있는 인정입니다. 은상 수상작은 대단히 뛰어나고 매우 창의적인 작품으로, 디자이너의 탁월한 전문 지식, 재능, 통찰력을 보여 줍니다. Komazawa Daigaku 철도역, 이 작품은 훌륭한 대표작으로서 매우 전문적이고 깊이 있게 혁신적일 것으로 기대됩니다. 이 은상 수상 디자인은 예술, 과학, 디자인, 기술의 경계를 넓히는 데 이바지하는 주목할 만하고 찬사를 받는 발명품입니다. Komazawa Daigaku 철도역, 이 작품은 모두가 부러워하는 창작물로서 욕망을 일깨우고 긍정적인 감정을 불러오며 경탄과 경이로움을 불러일으킵니다.
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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