Location
Tokyo, Japan
Typology
Mixed-use
Year
2016-2022
Status
completed
Client
MORI Building Co. Ltd.
Size
293,000 m² GFA
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Toranomon Hills Towers expands the idea of the high-rise into a multi-layered piece of city. The office and residential towers combine architecture, landscape, mobility and public life within a continuous urban composition. Green terraces rise from the street into the buildings, creating an active and recognisable destination that contributes to Tokyo at every level.
The project forms part of the wider Toranomon Hills development and advances Mori Building’s concept of the Vertical Garden City. Dense urban functions are arranged vertically, creating space for greenery, public amenities and pedestrian connections within one of Tokyo’s most intensively used districts. The towers carry this principle upward through planted terraces, balconies and elevated gardens, extending urban nature from the ground into the skyline.
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Typology
Mixed-use
Year
2016-2022
Status
completed
Client
MORI Building Co. Ltd.
Size
293,000 m² GFA
Read more
The architecture engages directly with the surrounding streets. The towers broaden towards their bases through a sequence of stepped volumes, reducing their scale as they approach the public realm. Plazas, planted decks, shops, restaurants and shared spaces create several levels of activity and invite people to move through, across and around the development. The resulting form connects the towers with the wider district and establishes a strong relationship between the skyline and everyday life at street level. Planning requirements, including Tokyo’s sky-factor regulations, contributed to the buildings’ profiles. These parameters were developed into a coherent architectural language of horizontal lines, projecting terraces and carefully graduated volumes. The office and residential buildings share a clear family resemblance while expressing their individual uses and proportions. Their silhouettes are elegant and distinctive, giving the ensemble a strong presence across the city.
The architecture engages directly with the surrounding streets. The towers broaden towards their bases through a sequence of stepped volumes, reducing their scale as they approach the public realm. Plazas, planted decks, shops, restaurants and shared spaces create several levels of activity and invite people to move through, across and around the development. The resulting form connects the towers with the wider district and establishes a strong relationship between the skyline and everyday life at street level. Planning requirements, including Tokyo’s sky-factor regulations, contributed to the buildings’ profiles. These parameters were developed into a coherent architectural language of horizontal lines, projecting terraces and carefully graduated volumes. The office and residential buildings share a clear family resemblance while expressing their individual uses and proportions. Their silhouettes are elegant and distinctive, giving the ensemble a strong presence across the city.
At the base, the architecture becomes a green urban hill inspired by nearby Atago-san and the wooded setting of Atago Shrine. Planting flows across terraces and pedestrian spaces, strengthening the green sequence through the district and creating a contemporary interpretation of Tokyo’s relationship between topography, nature and sacred places. The landscape offers shade, shelter and moments of retreat amid the intensity of the surrounding city. This experience of nature engages several senses. Leaves filter sunlight and move with the wind; vegetation introduces seasonal colour and fragrance; water and planting soften the acoustic character of the public spaces. These biophilic qualities support wellbeing and give the terraces an atmosphere that changes throughout the day and across the seasons. Nature becomes an essential urban resource and a source of identity for the development. Transport infrastructure is integrated into the spatial concept. An underground pedestrian route connects the Business Tower with Toranomon Hills Station on the Hibiya Line and Toranomon Station on the Ginza Line. A bus terminal occupies the first floor, serving the Tokyo BRT network and airport connections, while pedestrian decks continue the network through the wider Toranomon Hills district. These intersecting routes bring a constant flow of people into the project and support the vitality of its public, retail and working environments.
At the base, the architecture becomes a green urban hill inspired by nearby Atago-san and the wooded setting of Atago Shrine. Planting flows across terraces and pedestrian spaces, strengthening the green sequence through the district and creating a contemporary interpretation of Tokyo’s relationship between topography, nature and sacred places. The landscape offers shade, shelter and moments of retreat amid the intensity of the surrounding city. This experience of nature engages several senses. Leaves filter sunlight and move with the wind; vegetation introduces seasonal colour and fragrance; water and planting soften the acoustic character of the public spaces. These biophilic qualities support wellbeing and give the terraces an atmosphere that changes throughout the day and across the seasons. Nature becomes an essential urban resource and a source of identity for the development. Transport infrastructure is integrated into the spatial concept. An underground pedestrian route connects the Business Tower with Toranomon Hills Station on the Hibiya Line and Toranomon Station on the Ginza Line. A bus terminal occupies the first floor, serving the Tokyo BRT network and airport connections, while pedestrian decks continue the network through the wider Toranomon Hills district. These intersecting routes bring a constant flow of people into the project and support the vitality of its public, retail and working environments.
The Business Tower provides large, efficient office floors with generous daylight and flexible layouts. Retail, restaurants and spaces for collaboration broaden its role within the district, including the ARCH innovation centre. Horizontal façade elements create depth, provide solar protection and reinforce the architectural unity of the ensemble. The tower combines a clear external identity with highly adaptable interior space. The Residential Tower introduces a varied community of permanent and temporary residents. Its 547 homes range from serviced apartments to extensive family residences, supported by shared amenities, wellness facilities, childcare and communal spaces. Balconies give every dwelling a direct outdoor connection, while the horizontal structure of the façade creates a domestic scale within the overall height of the building. The diversity of apartment types adds social and spatial variety to the wider mixed-use district.
The Business Tower provides large, efficient office floors with generous daylight and flexible layouts. Retail, restaurants and spaces for collaboration broaden its role within the district, including the ARCH innovation centre. Horizontal façade elements create depth, provide solar protection and reinforce the architectural unity of the ensemble. The tower combines a clear external identity with highly adaptable interior space. The Residential Tower introduces a varied community of permanent and temporary residents. Its 547 homes range from serviced apartments to extensive family residences, supported by shared amenities, wellness facilities, childcare and communal spaces. Balconies give every dwelling a direct outdoor connection, while the horizontal structure of the façade creates a domestic scale within the overall height of the building. The diversity of apartment types adds social and spatial variety to the wider mixed-use district.
Environmental performance is embedded in the architecture. Efficient floorplates, solar-shading elements, high-performance façades and extensive planting reduce energy demand and improve comfort. The project achieves CASBEE S, the highest class within the Japanese assessment system, and a landscape replacement rate of 64.5 per cent. Density, public transport and mixed use further support an urban model based on shorter distances and the efficient use of land and infrastructure. Toranomon Hills Towers demonstrates how high-rise architecture can create a vibrant and sensuous public environment. Its green hill, layered terraces and connected transport spaces transform two highly efficient towers into an active part of Tokyo. Architecture and landscape work together to create continuity between the city, Atago-san and the skyline—a vertical garden city shaped around movement, encounter and nature.
Environmental performance is embedded in the architecture. Efficient floorplates, solar-shading elements, high-performance façades and extensive planting reduce energy demand and improve comfort. The project achieves CASBEE S, the highest class within the Japanese assessment system, and a landscape replacement rate of 64.5 per cent. Density, public transport and mixed use further support an urban model based on shorter distances and the efficient use of land and infrastructure. Toranomon Hills Towers demonstrates how high-rise architecture can create a vibrant and sensuous public environment. Its green hill, layered terraces and connected transport spaces transform two highly efficient towers into an active part of Tokyo. Architecture and landscape work together to create continuity between the city, Atago-san and the skyline—a vertical garden city shaped around movement, encounter and nature.
