It’s easy to walk past Shibuya Marui without noticing it or giving it a second glance. While the shopping complex – established in 1971 – has been a resident of Shibuya for half a century, it is now often overshadowed by the district’s newer buildings like Shibuya Scramble Square. That’s all set to change, however, as Shibuya Marui is slated for a massive redevelopment project which involves demolishing the existing building for the construction of Japan’s first full-scale commercial building made of wood.
Architecture firm Foster + Partners is in charge of designing the new nine-storey complex (plus two basement levels), which will span roughly 2,800sqm of total retail space. By using wood for 60 percent of its construction materials, the construction process is expected to produce roughly 2,000 tons less in CO2 emissions than it would if using steel.
Contractors are also planning to make the new complex more sustainable than the existing building by harnessing solar power to generate electricity within the space. While designs for the new building look stunning, it’ll take a few years for the project to come to fruition. Shibuya Marui is set to close for demolition on August 28 this year, with the wooden structure expected to be completed sometime in 2026.
More from Time Out
Ibaraki is hosting a massive 90-minute fireworks show in September 2022
In photos: see the spectacular return of the Nebuta Festival in Aomori
There’s an invasion of Doraemon at Roppongi Hills this summer
11 Tokyo pizzerias are ranked in the 50 Top Pizza Asia Pacific list for 2022
3 stand-up comedy shows coming to Tokyo: Iliza Shlesinger, Jim Jeffries and Jimmy O Yang
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.