“Tokyo Review 005”
“Districts Around “Dai-gaiku” and “Akasaka Intercity AIR”
In this post, I would like to introduce the districts around the Superblock named “Dai-gaiku” in Minato Ward. This Superblock is located on the south of Tameike intersection, and the 75hectares area is surrounded by trunk roads. “ARK Hills” (completed in 1986) is also included in this Superblock.
It is a part of Akasaka-Azabu area where the US Embassy and other embassies of major countries are located. This area also has popular international restaurants, bars and clubs, where gorgeous western culture had flourished with foreign visitors.
In 1996, Minato Ward had published a “Draft for the urban comprehensive rehabilitation plan of Roppongi- Toranomon area (Dai-gaiku) “, and this Superblock gained attraction. Minato Ward followed to be designatied as the “Primary Zone for Urban Renaissance” and “International Strategy Comprehensive Special Zones (the Special Zone for Asian Headquarters)”. The mood for urban development is in an upward trend, and several big projects are going on, such as the rebuilding of the Hotel Okura, the Toranomon-Azabudai urban redevelopment project including the 330-meter high office tower, and so on.
“Akasaka Intercity AIR” just opened on September 29 as a part of Akasaka 1-chome urban redevelopment project in this area. It shows dignified appearance being 175,300 square meters GFA (FAR=9.0), 205 meters high (37 stories), and has 2,588 square meters of NET rentable areas on each floor.
Akasaka Intercity AIR is an highly anticipated urban area with business, commercial and residential functions. Furthermore it is directly linked to the Tameike-Sanno Subway Station.
This project is strongly identified by its rich green environment. The area is the starting point of the proposed “Akasaka-Toranomon Grand Green Corridor” connecting the Tameike-Sanno station and the Tokyo Loop Road No.2 being 850 meters’ in length. Responding to this, the abundant greens of the sites such as the line-planted cherry trees, the waterscapes, the strolling routes in the undulating gardens, together with the cafés and restaurants standing independently along these landscape creates a comfortable oasis where you can experience the changing of the seasons. The atmosphere here is quite different from the conventional office developments in the city center.
