TOKYO
Communication to the masses is one of the goals of urban development. In 1958, towering 333 meters high, Tokyo Tower was built for the purpose of communication and observatory. Located in Shiba-koen of the Minato district, Tokyo, it obtained its revenue through tourism and antenna leasing. However, due to the change in landscape by the building of more skyscrapers since its creation, the broadcasting tower became obsolete. It is not the main broadcasting hub anymore and is now used primarily as a tourist attraction. [1]
In its place, the same architectural firm that designed Tokyo Tower, Nikken Sekkei, developed a plan for a tall cylindrical skyscraper later named Tokyo Skytree. Located in Sumida, Tokyo and completed February 2012, it stands as the tallest freestanding tower in the world at a whopping 634 meters (2,080 feet). The height of the tower represents the figured 6 (mu), 3 (sa), 4 (shi), which stands for “Musashi”, the name of the past region where Tokyo Skytree stands. It represents the importance the people of Japan have for ancient provinces. While its main purposes were for radio and television broadcasting, it also features restaurants, theaters, an aquarium, and other shops in the building’s interior. Being a centerpiece of a large commercial area, its easily accessible and near daily-populated areas like Tokyo Station and Tokyo Soramachi shopping complex. Its goal was to not only motivate urban revitalization but also to increase national pride. It became a symbol of Japanese technology and incorporated both the traditional art of Japan and the futuristic development of structures. It contains many advanced innovations like fire-resistant glass for safe observation and earthquake-resistant engineering that proved its might in surviving the magnitude-9.0 quake in March 2011. While the earthquake did push back the completion because of supply delays, Tokyo Skytree was completed a year later. [1, 2 ,3 ,5 ,6]
Sumida District's
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Tower at night [Source]
With the knowledge of the previous Tokyo Tower, several problems were solved in the design of Tokyo Skytower. The tower was designed tall to avoid the signal disruption from high-rise buildings, as Tokyo became a skyscraper cityscape. However, there were already other issues with the land itself. Tokyo suffers from natural disasters including earthquakes and typhoons. To create a safer building, the architects and engineers used a shinbashira, a central column that is commonly used in the architecture of Japanese pagodas. It acts as a stationary pendulum to counterbalance seismic waves and wind force, reducing the sway motion of the surrounding structure. For such a large undertaking, resources were also an issue that was solved by using triangular shapes in the design rather than squares to reduce the amount of steel required for construction. [1, 2, 3]
The process of construction can be seen below:
The process of construction for the Tokyo Skytree Project [Source]
There were also other Japanese architectural elements. The convex (Mukuri) and concave (Sori) curvature details are traditional Japanese architecture principles varied in the design to represent ancient architectural shapes like the blade of a samurai sword. The camber structures of Tokyo Skytree, a transition style from a circular form through convex upward curvature, were also implemented in columns of Mara and Heian era temples. Tokyo Skytree also integrated Japan’s cultural elements starting from the exterior of the tower that is painted in a color called “Skytree White”, based on the traditional bluish white Japanese color called “Aijiro”. While there are modern additions like LED lights, to both light up the tower and display an eco-friendly message, they are designed to represent history. The two lighting styles “Iki” and “Miyabi” collaborate to symbolize the concept of how “today” is connected to “tomorrow” and extends to the “future”. The strong indigo colors represent the legacy of traditional Japanese craftsmen that were relevant in the history of the downtown area Shitamachi nearby. [4]
Tokyo Skytree in the perspective where you could see the white-ish blue the exterior of the tower is painted in [Source]
View from inside the Tokyo Skytree in the observatory area [Source]
References:
[1] The Tallest Tower in the World: Tokyo Skytree. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thetallesteverything.com/tallest-tower.php
[2] Hornyak, T. (2012, March 1). Japan builds Tokyo Sky Tree, world's tallest tower. CNet. Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.cnet.com/news/japan-builds-tokyo-sky-tree-worlds-tallest-tower/
[3] Tokyo Sky Tree, Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/tokyo-sky-tree/
[4] Tokyo SkyTree Website (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/en/
[5] Nakata, H. (2012, February 21). Tokyo Skytree opener looms large. The Japan Times. Retrieved from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/02/21/news/tokyo-sky-tree-opener-looms-large/? japantimes (The Japan Times%3A All Stories)#.VP8_wEbV3KB
[6] Skytree reaches for hearts and minds. (2012, May 25). The Japan Times. Retrieved from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/05/25/news/skytree-reaches-for-hearts-and-minds/#.VP8_wkbV3KB