Tenjincho Place Apartment Complex / Hiroyuki Ito Architects

The site is located along the approach to a renowned shrine and on the edge of a plateau in Yushima, Tokyo. In recent years, numerous hotels in the area have been replaced by apartment complexes, resulting from a rapid transformation of the area’s character. Two complexities of the site have been significant factors for the design–the shape of the plot and the lighting conditions resulting from high-rise buildings surrounding it from three directions. By wrapping a curved volume around a central void, each residential unit obtains light, wind, and views.