Tamagawa Takashimaya Grand Patio / Yuko Nagayama & Associates

Guided by a design concept of “Library & Art,” this renovation of a commercial building with a fifty-year history provides a place for community members to rest and relax. Our design transforms the spacious atrium into an intimate enclave that resembles a park in some places and a private library in others, offering opportunities for visitors to encounter books and art. Three primary elements compose the space: an assemblage of lights, shelves for encountering stories, and parklike greenery. Comprised of 669 bulbs and 1338 cords, the assemblage of lights is the most distinctive feature of the project. By varying the height of the suspended bulbs, we constructed four ceiling vaults between the columns. Bulbs are suspended like necklace pendants from two thin cords hung at convergent 40-degree angles.