Komazawa Daigaku Siteshoni ya Sitima Yapamtunda by Uds Ltd. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Mphoto ya Siliva ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Nyumba, Zomanga ndi Zomangidwa Competition Category.
SilivaZomangamanga· 2026
Komazawa Daigaku Siteshoni ya Sitima Yapamtunda
by Uds Ltd.
Client: UDS Ltd.
Mphoto ya Siliva ya A' Design Award Winner in Zomangamanga Category
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- Verified Award Winner
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The Design
About Komazawa Daigaku Siteshoni ya Sitima Yapamtunda
Komazawa Daigaku ndi siteshoni ya sitima yapamtunda yokonzedwanso yomwe ili pansi pa Paki ya Komazawa ku Setagaya, Tokyo. Lingaliro la Under the Park (Pansi pa Paki) limaona njira yapansi panthaka ngati mizu ndipo nyumba zotulukira ngati mitengo yophiphiritsira. Zigawo za siteshoni zagawidwa m'nthawi zitatu: ntchito za dothi zosatha, mitengo yokalamba ndi masamba omwe amasinthidwa. Matailosi omwe analipo kale ndi pansi pa terrazzo zinasungidwa kuti zichepetse zinyalala, ndipo matabwa a m'dziko lomwelo anagwiritsidwa ntchito. Utoto wachitsulo wapadenga umapanga chithunzithunzi cha kuwala kobalalika. Mabenchi ndi makauntala amaitanira anthu kupuma ndi kukumana.
The Recognition
About the Mphoto ya Siliva ya A' Design Award
Komazawa Daigaku Siteshoni ya Sitima Yapamtunda ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Siliva ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka modabwitsa komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe a pamwamba, okongola ndi ochititsa chidwi. Opambana a Siliva ndi ntchito zowala kwambiri ndi zolenga kwambiri zomwe zimaonetsa ukatswiri, luso ndi nzeru zakuthwa za opanga awo. Komazawa Daigaku Siteshoni ya Sitima Yapamtunda akuyembekezeka kukhala ntchito yodabwitsa yoonetsedwa, yaukatswiri wapadera ndi yatsopano kwambiri. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Siliva ya A' Design Award awa ndi chopangidwa chodziwika kwambiri ndi choyamikiridwa chomwe chimapindulitsa ndi kukulitsa malire a luso, sayansi, kapangidwe ndi ukadaulo. Komazawa Daigaku Siteshoni ya Sitima Yapamtunda ndi cholengedwa chomwe anthu ambiri amachichitira nsanje, chomwe chimadzutsa zilakolako, kubweretsa maganizo abwino ndi kuyatsa kudabwa ndi chidwi.
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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