Tokyo Midtown: Landscape and Cityscape

Walking around Tokyo Midtown on a holiday gives the impression that you're not in Tokyo but another city with actual green space. Yet,when you approach the main entry to Tokyo midtown with its main plaza covered by an elevated glass wing you get a very urban feel. Almost like you're in New York or Chicago. On two ends of the urbanity spectrum within the same complex Tokyo Midtown offers an experience of landscape and cityscape that creates a nice atmosphere full of public life. 

Have a look at the photos. It was cloudy out so they're kinda dim. Copyright laws apply, if you make money from these puppies give me some!

Here's the rear approach coming from Akasaka. It's a holiday so folks are hanging around the park area. This only one small part of it. The park wraps around the building, quite unusual to have this much green space in Tokyo.

One portion of 21_21 Design Sight by Tadao Ando. The building is meant to meld into the landscape.

Tokyo Midtown Tower is the tallest building in Tokyo. Tokyo doesn't have as many skyscrapers as other major cities and there's to much of a skyline of downtown towers. Let's hope it stays that way. There are a few towers proposed for Shibuya, but in general what makes Tokyo great is the fact that most buildings are medium to low rise.

Looking from the plaza to the main entrance we've moved from a Landscape to a Cityscape. The Mori tower is visible in the background, an obvious intention by the designers.

Cityscape and Landscape merge here to create an underground world. Underground there's a space full of shops and pathways that are connected to a network of train lines. The connection to the major train station has created a special experience for the visitor to Tokyo Midtown.

I will add Tokyo Midtown and its surroundings to my new Roppongi walk available March 15th. On the walk we'll discuss the "city within a city" concept that has been popular in the past 15 years in Japan. We also get to see what it takes to make quality design on such a large scale. 

Follow me on instagram @tokyotecture or Facebook for more photos. 

​-Mike Cutno