Laguarda . Low Architects LLC

Tama Plaza Station

Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects

TAMA PLAZA STATION 

LaguardaLow Architects

AREA
40000.0 m2

YEAR
2009

LOCATION
Japan

CATEGORY
Metro Station

Text description provided by architect.

Tama Plaza Station is a transit-oriented development centrally located in the commercial heart of Tama, Japan, municipality in southwestern Tokyo seeking to regain its competitive commercial edge over neighboring cities.

Located at the city’s central transportation hub, the alternating open air and enclosed mixed use commercial center lies one level above ground, just steps above major automobile thoroughfares, bus lines, and train tracks.

Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects
Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects
Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects

The mixed use development is unique for its innovative span of several city blocks under single land ownership, an opportunity to create a comprehensive and unified commercial development that is quite rare within Japan’s often feudal land patterns.

The mixed-use center is a transit-oriented development, a high-density commercial hub that offers priority to pedestrian access, a variety of commercial and transit services, and is centered around a train station.

This new type of unified development serves as a catalyst and character model for surrounding developments,and seeks to use transit innovation as a way of both preventing and alleviating traffic congestion, pollution, and other endemic problems caused by traditional sprawling, low-density developments.

Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects
Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects

The new town center is organized in a series of open air and enclosed plazas, connecting people and places and encouraging pedestrians to store-hop, window browse and people watch.

The architecture defining each open space and the facades, which rise from the street below to engulf the forms above, employs “Wabi Sabi”, or the Japanese Art of impermanence, and suggests such qualities as transparency, penetrability, humility, asymmetry and imperfection.

Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects
Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects
Tama Plaza Station
© LaguardaLow Architects


Tama Plaza Station
Elevation


Tama Plaza Station
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Tama Plaza Station
Model

Laguarda . Low Architects LLC
T +1 646 8239770 F +1 646 8239891
Laguarda . Low Architects LLC
25 E 21st St, New York, NY 10010, United States