HASSELL proposes masterplan for tokyo's long lost rail yards

once seen as japan’s ‘front door’, the rail yards at the edge of tokyo bay may may have had their best days behind them. over time, the gravitational pull of commercial and cultural opportunity in central tokyo meant that this once important site had become overwhelmed by the infrastructure of the city. design practice hassell studio was invited to participate in a closed competition to devise a masterplan that would restore the area’s gateway status, connect with nature and create an authentic sense of place.

hassell’s ambitious project represents the largest urban regeneration project in tokyo
all images © HASSELL and studio lux

hassell‘s ambitious project – covering 1,250,000 sqm of development – represents the largest urban regeneration project in tokyo. the aim is to create a place where inhabitants could slow down and take a breath – somewhere they could change the pace of their day in this booming metropolis. to create the conditions that would make that possible, the designers needed to establish a new character for the area. that started with a landscape that is more monumental – a green infrastructure that firmly establishes this new centre of gravity.

the aim is to devise a masterplan that would restore the area’s gateway status, connect with nature and create an authentic sense of place

hassell transformed the rail yards into a continuous urban garden that would give the new development a civic value and strong sense of community. along with the ‘monumental landscape’, the firm designed seven main buildings to form a new gateway and define the rail yards on the tokyo skyline. these buildings do not rely on just one iconic gesture, but instead, they work together as a group to create a distinctive silhouette that defines and frames the public space at ground level. the buildings are tall but they are also equally broad in proportion. not quite blocks and not really towers, they represent a new type of built form with a distinct personality and character. 

to create the conditions that would make that possible, the designers needed to establish a new character for the area

proposed as a number of simple layers, the public realm includes a new commercial frontage at ground level, an urban forest and winter gardens as well as a new garden bridge connecting to the canals and tokyo bay to the east. together, these layers of landscape are the starting point for the regeneration of the wider area and the waterfront.

along with the ‘monumental landscape’, the firm designed seven main buildings to form a new gateway and define the rail yards on the tokyo skyline

a projection of the masterplan set in tokyo

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynn chaya | designboom