Rendering by Tomorrow.
KPF Principal Ko Makabe greeted the audience virtually at the ceremony.
Local rituals took place at the ceremony.
Today, the KPF-designed project in Japan broke ground with a ceremony featuring local rituals and greetings from prominent figures.
The mixed-use project in Fukuoka, a coastal city in the southern portion of Japan, includes retail, office, and hotel programming with green spaces flowing throughout. Located at the prominent crossing of Meiji and Watanabe Avenues, the One Fukuoka Building is part of the city’s Tenjin Meiji Avenue Grand Design redevelopment project that was initiated in 2009. Three design concepts – urban roof, urban grid, and urban oasis – help to unify the various programs. The building features an L-shaped roof that envelops the building, and geometric, interlocking forms that house multiple outdoor terraces and create an “urban grid” concept to reference the site’s context. The urban oasis is achieved by utilizing the area’s sub-tropical climate to foster the healthy growth of vegetation.
Almost 100 guests participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, which included greetings from Nishi-Nippon Railroad Company, Ltd.’s President, Fukuoka’s City Mayor, and a virtual visit from KPF Principal Ko Makabe. Discussing the impact of the One Fukuoka Building, Makabe said, “This project will be a new landmark in Tenjin, Fukuoka, offering a new vision. The development will provide nourishing spaces that enhance wellbeing and reinstate a sense of community.’
KPF is also designing the interiors of the project, carrying the design voice of the exterior into the workspaces, retail, and hotel amenities. Construction on the One Fukuoka Building is slated for completion in December 2024.