UNIQLO TOKYO Store / Herzog & de Meuron

The existing building Marronnier Gate is located at the edge of the dense urban fabric of Ginza, a district in the center of Tokyo with a high concentration of luxury stores. In contrast, adjacent to the site is the open expanse of a wide avenue and elevated roadway. Thus, there are two perceptions of the building – tight, fragmentary glimpses from Ginza, and broad vistas from the roads and train lines to nearby Tokyo Station. In both cases the exterior is perceived as a closed volume, revealing little of its content.