florian busch architects playfully places windows on r4 building in tokyo

florian busch architects playfully places windows on r4 building in tokyo
all images by nacasa + partners

the ‘r4 building’ in tokyo, perched on a hill in an inner city location, is an office building by the architects at florian busch. the site proved challenging in the early stages, there were clear constraints illustrated in the narrowness of the road, the neighboring cemetery and being sandwiched against a towering 40m building. the approach resulted in a three-storey, modest, concrete structure including a roof terrace with different sized and playfully placed windows punctuating the envelope. the windows provide varying focal points whilst framing the surroundings at discrete levels. internally, the floors address an adaptable strategy, with brightly lit rooms, timber details and the levels eventually lead up to a timber decked roof garden where the square form of the windows have been extended onto the roof to form sunken seating and planting areas for foliage.

the building is flanked by a 40m neighboring apartment block
image © nacasa + partners

the site, on a narrow and curving street dictatesthe form of the building
image © nacasa + partners

concrete façade
image © nacasa + partners

the first floor
image © nacasa + partners

the second floor
image © nacasa + partners

the windows are randomly arranged providing the interior with plenty of daylight
cimage © nacasa + partners

the roof terrace
image © nacasa + partners

image © nacasa + partners

the r4 in the evenings
image © nacasa + partners

concept demonstration of the envelope
image © florian busch architects

project info:

address: roppongi, minato-ku, tokyo
programme: office
land area: 145.2m²
floor area: 412.3 m² + 102.7 m² roof terrace
materials: reinforced concrete
floors: 3 floors above ground , 1 basement
project team: florian busch architects
structural engineering: akira suzuki / asa
environmental & mechanical engineering: ymo
contractor: shin corporation