Komazawa Daigaku Kituo cha Reli by Uds Ltd. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Majengo, Ujenzi na Miundo Competition Category.
FedhaUsanifu wa Majengo· 2026
Komazawa Daigaku Kituo cha Reli
by Uds Ltd.
Client: UDS Ltd.
Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award Winner in Usanifu wa Majengo Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #173965The Design
About Komazawa Daigaku Kituo cha Reli
Komazawa Daigaku ni kituo cha reli kilichofanyiwa ukarabati kilichopo chini ya Hifadhi ya Komazawa katika eneo la Setagaya, Tokyo. Dhana ya "Chini ya Hifadhi" inachukulia ukumbi wa chini ya ardhi kama mizizi na majengo ya kutokea kama miti ya kiishara. Vipengele vya kituo vimepangwa kwa vipindi vitatu vya muda: kazi za ardhi za kudumu, miti inayozeeka na majani yanayojifanya upya. Vigae vilivyokuwepo na sakafu za terrazzo zilihifadhiwa ili kupunguza taka, na mbao za ndani ya nchi zilitumika. Mpako wa kimetali kwenye dari huleta athari ya mwanga unaopenya kama kupitia matawi ya miti. Viti vya kukaa na kaunta huwakaribisha watu kupumzika na kukutana.
The Recognition
About the Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award
Komazawa Daigaku Kituo cha Reli ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima kubwa ya ajabu unaotolewa kwa miundo ya hali ya juu kabisa, ya kupendeza na ya kuvutia. Washindi wa Fedha ni kazi zinazong'aa mno na bunifu kupita kiasi zinazoonyesha utaalamu bora, kipaji na busara ya wabunifu wao. Komazawa Daigaku Kituo cha Reli inatarajiwa kuwa kazi nzuri ya kuigwa ambayo ni ya kitaalamu kwa kiasi kikubwa na yenye ubunifu wa kina. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award ni uvumbuzi unaojulikana sana na kupendwa, unaonufaisha na kupanua mipaka ya sanaa, sayansi, usanifu na teknolojia. Komazawa Daigaku Kituo cha Reli ni kazi inayotamaniwa mno inayochochea hamu, huleta hisia chanya na huzua mshangao na mastaajabu.
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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