What was requested was a building that had never existed before.
The "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" project was an open competition. More than 100 people and teams from Japan and overseas participated, and more than 150 proposals were presented. Tange Urban Architectural Design was led by Noritaka Tange and Nakayama and others. The proposal of Tange Associates was adopted. Nakayama says. “The president of Mode Gakuen is a very passionate person, and since the school is a place where dreams are nurtured, he enthusiastically said that he wanted a building that had a dream in it, and a building that had never been seen before. In the 3rd year, 5 years after that, we had to overcome various issues such as planning, construction, regulations and budgets, but we were able to complete the race until the end thanks to the leadership of Noritaka Tange and the enthusiasm of the president. ”
The idea is to stack the school buildings vertically.
Nakayama tells us that when designing a building called a school, Tange Associates thinks very importantly. “Because it is a school, classes are of course important, but we believe that break time and after-school time are even more important. ,Something happens is important, so it makes sense for students to come to school.However, in the case of a high-rise building, you don't know what's going on on the floor above or below.But school is in every classroom. It's important to be able to go freely and understand what's going on.In the olden days, most elementary and junior high schools were three stories high.So this time it's a skyscraper, but the interior is designed to stack three stories. ”
In order to contribute to the urban environment, we will continue discussions with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
A school is not only a place of learning, but also a place to enjoy campus life. However, what stands in the way is the problem of size. In the case of the city center, it is not possible to expect such a large site. Nakayama explains that there is no choice but to cover it with height. “However, the volume of the building is 1,000% of the site. However, we want more classrooms. In order to earn money, it is necessary to have the regulations relaxed.We went to Tokyo and requested that the floor area ratio be relaxed.We wanted to connect with the underground mall in Shinjuku, and open the low-rise hall like an egg to non-students. It is a building that considers social contributions and the environment, such as renting it out to Tokyo residents and adopting a cogeneration system. We went to the government office many times, and in the end we were able to secure 1,370% special zone certification, and we were able to secure the floor area ratio and height.”
Seen from the outside, it looks like an elliptical cocoon.
There are 3 buildings inside.
By the way, cocoon, which is also the name of this building, is English for cocoon. The cocoon is also the concept of the design, and Nakayama tells us that the cocoon is entrusted with such a feeling. “The cocoon is in a state of enveloping and protecting the creatures that are about to start their activities. Students are people who have yet to venture out into society, so 'a school for young people who are about to jump into the world of creation' is exactly the cocoon. In other words, I thought that the school itself was a cocoon.The "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" was designed with that in mind.The exterior is designed in the image of a cocoon.However, there are actually three towers inside. These three towers represent the identities of the three schools of fashion, medical care, and computers, and the classrooms and training rooms that are the main uses of the school are located in these towers. The three towers are not independent of each other, but are connected by corridors to create an open campus space in that space.We believe that the space between these towers is an important space for school architecture.
Novelty and functionality in the form.
The form of the building also has the image of a cocoon. “What we aimed for was a form that was innovative and beautiful, but also structurally stable. I needed a lot of classrooms, so I inflated the middle part.If the sky and the building silhouette weren't beautiful if it was inflated to the top floor, I narrowed it down again.If you only want stability, a rectangular building would be better.・…It's very difficult to find that balance.We spent a lot of time trying to figure out how much to squeeze to create the best balance, both programmatically and structurally. The Great East Japan Earthquake struck just after the building was completed.The Shinjuku area shook quite a bit.It was a slow tremor, but the slower the tremor, the more high-rise buildings sway.However, Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower hardly shook. It was because we had done a lot of simulations of long-period earthquakes,” said Nakayama.
Overcome the limited budget by changing the way of thinking.
In a sense, architecture is a battle against the budget. Nakayama confesses that Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower was no exception. “Actually, it was difficult to realize the design. For example, there are more than 200 classrooms, and more than half of them are special classrooms. The design of each room is different. If the height is the same, the length of the exterior will be different.When it comes to the order size of each floor, the budget will be enormous.In order to realize it with a limited budget, the size of the exterior should be the same and the height of each floor should be the same. I changed the idea that I should adjust the height.Since changing the floor height is only a difference in the interior finish, it does not cost much.Therefore, the height of each floor is slightly different in this building. The height of each step is also slightly different.However, the construction of such a building requires an unimaginable amount of time and effort.I called out to several construction companies.Among them, a construction company with a passion was selected. I was able to meet him, and I asked him.Looking back, I can say that this "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" is the crystallization of my thoughts.The president's desire to create a building that can be found nowhere else.I want to create a building that functions as a part of the city. Our thoughts, and the thoughts of the construction companies and cooperating companies that try to give form to them somehow.The passionate thoughts of such people will make the impossible possible.After all, this "MODE GAKUEN COCOON TOWER". At the beginning of everything, there is a human thought.” That thought has come to fruition in the form of a city landmark. As a representative building of Nishi-Shinjuku, it plays a part of urban design.
What was requested was a building that had never existed before.
The "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" project was an open competition. More than 100 people and teams from Japan and overseas participated, and more than 150 proposals were presented. Tange Urban Architectural Design was led by Noritaka Tange and Nakayama and others. The proposal of Tange Associates was adopted. Nakayama says. “The president of Mode Gakuen is a very passionate person, and since the school is a place where dreams are nurtured, he enthusiastically said that he wanted a building that had a dream in it, and a building that had never been seen before. In the 3rd year, 5 years after that, we had to overcome various issues such as planning, construction, regulations and budgets, but we were able to complete the race until the end thanks to the leadership of Noritaka Tange and the enthusiasm of the president. ”
The idea is to stack the school buildings vertically.
Nakayama tells us that when designing a building called a school, Tange Associates thinks very importantly. “Because it is a school, classes are of course important, but we believe that break time and after-school time are even more important. ,Something happens is important, so it makes sense for students to come to school.However, in the case of a high-rise building, you don't know what's going on on the floor above or below.But school is in every classroom. It's important to be able to go freely and understand what's going on.In the olden days, most elementary and junior high schools were three stories high.So this time it's a skyscraper, but the interior is designed to stack three stories. ”
In order to contribute to the urban environment, we will continue discussions with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
A school is not only a place of learning, but also a place to enjoy campus life. However, what stands in the way is the problem of size. In the case of the city center, it is not possible to expect such a large site. Nakayama explains that there is no choice but to cover it with height. “However, the volume of the building is 1,000% of the site. However, we want more classrooms. In order to earn money, it is necessary to have the regulations relaxed.We went to Tokyo and requested that the floor area ratio be relaxed.We wanted to connect with the underground mall in Shinjuku, and open the low-rise hall like an egg to non-students. It is a building that considers social contributions and the environment, such as renting it out to Tokyo residents and adopting a cogeneration system. We went to the government office many times, and in the end we were able to secure 1,370% special zone certification, and we were able to secure the floor area ratio and height.”
Seen from the outside, it looks like an elliptical cocoon.
There are 3 buildings inside.
By the way, cocoon, which is also the name of this building, is English for cocoon. The cocoon is also the concept of the design, and Nakayama tells us that the cocoon is entrusted with such a feeling. “The cocoon is in a state of enveloping and protecting the creatures that are about to start their activities. Students are people who have yet to venture out into society, so 'a school for young people who are about to jump into the world of creation' is exactly the cocoon. In other words, I thought that the school itself was a cocoon.The "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" was designed with that in mind.The exterior is designed in the image of a cocoon.However, there are actually three towers inside. These three towers represent the identities of the three schools of fashion, medical care, and computers, and the classrooms and training rooms that are the main uses of the school are located in these towers. The three towers are not independent of each other, but are connected by corridors to create an open campus space in that space.We believe that the space between these towers is an important space for school architecture.
Novelty and functionality in the form.
The form of the building also has the image of a cocoon. “What we aimed for was a form that was innovative and beautiful, but also structurally stable. I needed a lot of classrooms, so I inflated the middle part.If the sky and the building silhouette weren't beautiful if it was inflated to the top floor, I narrowed it down again.If you only want stability, a rectangular building would be better.・…It's very difficult to find that balance.We spent a lot of time trying to figure out how much to squeeze to create the best balance, both programmatically and structurally. The Great East Japan Earthquake struck just after the building was completed.The Shinjuku area shook quite a bit.It was a slow tremor, but the slower the tremor, the more high-rise buildings sway.However, Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower hardly shook. It was because we had done a lot of simulations of long-period earthquakes,” said Nakayama.
Overcome the limited budget by changing the way of thinking.
In a sense, architecture is a battle against the budget. Nakayama confesses that Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower was no exception. “Actually, it was difficult to realize the design. For example, there are more than 200 classrooms, and more than half of them are special classrooms. The design of each room is different. If the height is the same, the length of the exterior will be different.When it comes to the order size of each floor, the budget will be enormous.In order to realize it with a limited budget, the size of the exterior should be the same and the height of each floor should be the same. I changed the idea that I should adjust the height.Since changing the floor height is only a difference in the interior finish, it does not cost much.Therefore, the height of each floor is slightly different in this building. The height of each step is also slightly different.However, the construction of such a building requires an unimaginable amount of time and effort.I called out to several construction companies.Among them, a construction company with a passion was selected. I was able to meet him, and I asked him.Looking back, I can say that this "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" is the crystallization of my thoughts.The president's desire to create a building that can be found nowhere else.I want to create a building that functions as a part of the city. Our thoughts, and the thoughts of the construction companies and cooperating companies that try to give form to them somehow.The passionate thoughts of such people will make the impossible possible.After all, this "MODE GAKUEN COCOON TOWER". At the beginning of everything, there is a human thought.” That thought has come to fruition in the form of a city landmark. As a representative building of Nishi-Shinjuku, it plays a part of urban design.
What was requested was a building that had never existed before.
The "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" project was an open competition. More than 100 people and teams from Japan and overseas participated, and more than 150 proposals were presented. Tange Urban Architectural Design was led by Noritaka Tange and Nakayama and others. The proposal of Tange Associates was adopted. Nakayama says. “The president of Mode Gakuen is a very passionate person, and since the school is a place where dreams are nurtured, he enthusiastically said that he wanted a building that had a dream in it, and a building that had never been seen before. In the 3rd year, 5 years after that, we had to overcome various issues such as planning, construction, regulations and budgets, but we were able to complete the race until the end thanks to the leadership of Noritaka Tange and the enthusiasm of the president. ”
The idea is to stack the school buildings vertically.
Nakayama tells us that when designing a building called a school, Tange Associates thinks very importantly. “Because it is a school, classes are of course important, but we believe that break time and after-school time are even more important. ,Something happens is important, so it makes sense for students to come to school.However, in the case of a high-rise building, you don't know what's going on on the floor above or below.But school is in every classroom. It's important to be able to go freely and understand what's going on.In the olden days, most elementary and junior high schools were three stories high.So this time it's a skyscraper, but the interior is designed to stack three stories. ”
In order to contribute to the urban environment, we will continue discussions with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
A school is not only a place of learning, but also a place to enjoy campus life. However, what stands in the way is the problem of size. In the case of the city center, it is not possible to expect such a large site. Nakayama explains that there is no choice but to cover it with height. “However, the volume of the building is 1,000% of the site. However, we want more classrooms. In order to earn money, it is necessary to have the regulations relaxed.We went to Tokyo and requested that the floor area ratio be relaxed.We wanted to connect with the underground mall in Shinjuku, and open the low-rise hall like an egg to non-students. It is a building that considers social contributions and the environment, such as renting it out to Tokyo residents and adopting a cogeneration system. We went to the government office many times, and in the end we were able to secure 1,370% special zone certification, and we were able to secure the floor area ratio and height.”
Seen from the outside, it looks like an elliptical cocoon.
There are 3 buildings inside.
By the way, cocoon, which is also the name of this building, is English for cocoon. The cocoon is also the concept of the design, and Nakayama tells us that the cocoon is entrusted with such a feeling. “The cocoon is in a state of enveloping and protecting the creatures that are about to start their activities. Students are people who have yet to venture out into society, so 'a school for young people who are about to jump into the world of creation' is exactly the cocoon. In other words, I thought that the school itself was a cocoon.The "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" was designed with that in mind.The exterior is designed in the image of a cocoon.However, there are actually three towers inside. These three towers represent the identities of the three schools of fashion, medical care, and computers, and the classrooms and training rooms that are the main uses of the school are located in these towers. The three towers are not independent of each other, but are connected by corridors to create an open campus space in that space.We believe that the space between these towers is an important space for school architecture.
Novelty and functionality in the form.
The form of the building also has the image of a cocoon. “What we aimed for was a form that was innovative and beautiful, but also structurally stable. I needed a lot of classrooms, so I inflated the middle part.If the sky and the building silhouette weren't beautiful if it was inflated to the top floor, I narrowed it down again.If you only want stability, a rectangular building would be better.・…It's very difficult to find that balance.We spent a lot of time trying to figure out how much to squeeze to create the best balance, both programmatically and structurally. The Great East Japan Earthquake struck just after the building was completed.The Shinjuku area shook quite a bit.It was a slow tremor, but the slower the tremor, the more high-rise buildings sway.However, Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower hardly shook. It was because we had done a lot of simulations of long-period earthquakes,” said Nakayama.
Overcome the limited budget by changing the way of thinking.
In a sense, architecture is a battle against the budget. Nakayama confesses that Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower was no exception. “Actually, it was difficult to realize the design. For example, there are more than 200 classrooms, and more than half of them are special classrooms. The design of each room is different. If the height is the same, the length of the exterior will be different.When it comes to the order size of each floor, the budget will be enormous.In order to realize it with a limited budget, the size of the exterior should be the same and the height of each floor should be the same. I changed the idea that I should adjust the height.Since changing the floor height is only a difference in the interior finish, it does not cost much.Therefore, the height of each floor is slightly different in this building. The height of each step is also slightly different.However, the construction of such a building requires an unimaginable amount of time and effort.I called out to several construction companies.Among them, a construction company with a passion was selected. I was able to meet him, and I asked him.Looking back, I can say that this "Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower" is the crystallization of my thoughts.The president's desire to create a building that can be found nowhere else.I want to create a building that functions as a part of the city. Our thoughts, and the thoughts of the construction companies and cooperating companies that try to give form to them somehow.The passionate thoughts of such people will make the impossible possible.After all, this "MODE GAKUEN COCOON TOWER". At the beginning of everything, there is a human thought.” That thought has come to fruition in the form of a city landmark. As a representative building of Nishi-Shinjuku, it plays a part of urban design.