Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Japan Nursing Association
The glass cone of the
Japan Nursing Association
(2004) is classic Kurokawa
Kishō, the architect who later designed the undulating glass facade of the
Nation-
al Art Center Tokyo
(
Click here
)
.
Louis Vuitton Building
Evoking a stack of clothes trunks, Aoki Jun's design for
Louis Vuitton
(2002)
features offset panels of tinted glass behind sheets of metal mesh.
Tod's Building
Climb onto the elevated crosswalk to better admire Itō Toyō's construction for
Tod's
(2004). The crisscrossing strips of concrete take their inspiration from the
zelkova trees below; what's more impressive is that they're also structural.
Spiral Building
Maki Fumihiko's post-modernist
Spiral Building
(
Click here
) is worth a detour
down Aoyama-dōri. Constructed in 1985, it predates everything else on this walk.
The patchwork, uncentred design is a nod to Tokyo's own mismatched landscape.
Inside, a spiralling passage doubles as an
art gallery
.
Prada Building
The most internationally famous structure on this strip is the convex glass fish-
bowl that Herzog and de Meuron designed for
Prada
(2003).
Nezu Museum
Finish the walk at the
Nezu Museum
(
Click here
)
, remodelled in 2009 by Kuma
Kengō. The bamboo-lined entrance is likened by the architect to the pathway that
leads to a traditional teahouse, which gives the visitor time to adjust his or her
mood.
