Nippo Junction Icyicaro Gikuru

Press Kit

Unique Properties

This project is rebuilding the Nippo Head Office built over a multilayered intersection of urban infrastructure, an expressway and a park. Nippo is a leading company in road construction.
By drawing this multilayered intersection of Michi (street in Japanese) on laminated workplace, Michi connects not only physical spaces, but also the individuality and distinctiveness of each place.
Michi was enhanced to forge creative connections and to realize a unique work place possible only here at Nippo.

Dimensions & Packaging

Composition of Double-skin Façade on north-west side
1. Fan shaped outer skin
- Two-sided support system with frame and SSG System
2. Fan Stone provides support to counter wind forces on both skin layers
- A dynamic facade composed from stone mullions and glass panels expresses both the forward looking and reliable company identities
3. Completely flat mullion-less MPG inner skin
- enables use of inner spaces directly up to glass panels

Tags

architecture, facade, glass, headquaters, nippo, doubleskin, tokyo, japan

Production Technology

The Edge between urban environment ,Facade
Double skin glazing on the north-east sides are arranged in a staggered folding fan layout optimized for natural ventilation, reduction of direct sunlight and opening out to vistas, actively engaging prevailing winds and direct sunlight, and minimizing usage of blinds. The cavity between double skin glazing is used for natural ventilation and for reducing wind speed and ambient city noises to provide an open workplace connected to urban elements

Design Challenge

The Metropolitan Expressway runs at the foot of the new headquarters. The Metropolitan Expressway is a river before the Tokyo Olympics. Therefore, a revetment retaining wall of the river was left in the site, and it was necessary to construct the basement while leaving it. A seismic isolation structure is adopted so that the headquarters function can be maintained even in the case of a large earthquake.

Research

Japan needs an exterior plan to prepare for typhoons, and very careful consideration was required for setting the wind pressure of the double skin facade. Since this exterior incorporates a stone, by setting the interlayer displacement and construction accuracy at the time of the earthquake carefully, a very delicate exterior is realized.

Inspiration

The Michi is also expressed in the NIPPO logo and slogan, which is also the identity of this company. We regard Michi as the connection between various elements, and put Junction into the concept. Specifically, it is an attempt to reorganize the connection between neighboring cities and the connection between work places, which were sparse at the former head office, with the new head office plan. At the same time, it is a plan to re-identify the identity of a company.

Project Duration

Completion: 2018/6
Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo,JAPAN

Operation Flow

Columns are placed between Quiet Michi and Ie spaces, defining a soft boundary. Each department or team can set its own relationship with Michi by variating the layout of the Ie zones for column intervals. The columns have inserts that allow a wide variety of boundaries to be set up according to worker needs. such as soft boundaries defined by furniture or partitions between columns and privatizing the Michi for how each space is used is possible

Image Credits

Photographer:Hiroshi Funaki、Shota Hiyoshi
Kawasumi Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office Co.,Ltd