Topped by a monolithic undulating roof, the Takanawa Gateway Station recalls the elegance of the historic European train station—but in the heart of Tokyo. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the building is the first addition in 50 years to the Yamanote Line, the famous elevated train encircling the city center. Also serving the Keihin-Tohoku suburban commuter railway, the building is poised to become a main access point for a 32-acre urban-renewal project spearheaded by the station client, East Japan Railway Company. Titled Global Gateway Shinagawa, the phased development (master-planned by New Haven firm Pickard Chilton) is intended to transform a trainyard into an international business center and is slated for completion in 2040.
Passengers arriving at the station from Dai-ichi Keihin, a key multilane thoroughfare, ascend stairs and traverse a partially covered walkway to enter the concourse, a soaring space extending to the roof. This level includes the station office and restrooms at its north end, while its south end will hold a second entrance when the redevelopment project is finished. Connecting to a pedestrian deck, the additional entrance will also enable passengers to walk to Shinagawa Station, a nearby major transportation hub and Bullet-train stop. Beneath the concourse level are platforms for the four sets of train tracks while, above, balconies flank either end of the linear space, providing places to look down at the hustle and bustle. The entire interior is united by an enormous atrium at the building’s center, which rises up from the tracks to the ceiling and enables air and daylight to flow from top to bottom. Gazing up from the platform, the eye is filled with views of the roof underpinnings and soft light from above. “As they did with 19th-century terminals, we wanted to make one large space,” explains Kengo Kuma.
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