Shiseido Ginza

Shiseido Ginza - Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Year: 2001 & Total Area: 6.000

Rather than merely constructing an updated version of the former Shiseido Parlour Building, the company established the new building as the home of its corporate culture in the 21st Century. The new Ginza Building is the base for disseminating information about the brand around the world.

The close relationship between Shiseido and Tokyo’s Ginza district goes back many years. In 1872, Shiseido was founded in Ginza as Japan’s first Western-style pharmacy. The operation of institutions such as the Shiseido Parlour and Shiseido Gallery strengthened the brand’s corporate image in its main field, the cosmetics business. While contributing to Ginza’s visual amenity, the building stands as an expression of Shiseido’s aesthetic values. Central to the latter role is the parlour and gallery, which are a part of the company’s history in Ginza.

The Shiseido New Ginza Building has eleven stories above ground and two stories below. It consists of five zones – Gallery Zone, Plaza Zone, Shiseido Parlour Zone, Beauty Salon Zone and a new Restaurant. Each zone is based on a distinct concept, and has been designed in such a way that they create a coherent whole.

As in the old Shiseido Parlour Building in the early 1930s, a stairwell is used to create an open, modern and elegant atmosphere. The exterior wall has been clad with Western-style red stucco. Floors nine to 11 provide a 360-degree-view of the district and the surrounding area.

The newer building is higher than the old one. This is possible due to a relaxation in the planning regulations. The Japanese government modified them in 1997, in order to promote the revitalization of commercial areas. The Shiseido New Ginza Building was the first development in the city to take advantage of this reform.

The project received the “Tokyo Architecture Award 2002” by the Tokyo Association of Architectural Firms.

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