The British School in Tokyo will open in August while retail spaces will open after December of 2023.
Mori Building, renowned as Japan's premier urban landscape developer, announced on August 8th the grand opening of Azabudai Hills is set for November 24th, 2023.
This development represents the culmination of the Toranomon-Azabudai District Category 1 Urban Redevelopment Project—a venture that has been nurtured by Mori Building, fellow collaborators, and roughly 300 landowners over the course of approximately 35 years.
Central to Azabudai Hills is the vision of crafting a "Modern Urban Village." This ambitious endeavor seeks to seamlessly integrate diverse aspects of contemporary living within a unified complex.
Photo courtesy of Mori Building.
At its core, Azabudai Hills is conceived as a "Green & Wellness" community. This ethos underscores the endeavor's aspiration to foster a symbiotic relationship between residents and nature, cultivating holistic and health-conscious lifestyles. Its aim is to establish a self-contained microcosm where people can reside, work, and engage in leisure activities without traversing vast distances across the city's urban sprawl.
Site plan courtesy of Mori Building.
Spanning an extensive area of around 8.1 hectares, Azabudai Hills encompasses 24,000 square meters of lush greenery. This verdant expanse interweaves with a total floor area of approximately 861,700 square meters, accommodating a multifarious range of urban functions encompassing offices, residences, retail outlets, cultural institutions, educational establishments, and medical facilities.
Among these are the Keio University Center for Preventive Medicine, Janu Tokyo (the inaugural sister-brand hotel of Aman), Tokyo Venture Capital Hub, and a plethora of retail establishments such as Hermès, Cartier, CELINE, DIOR, BERLUTI, and more. The retail spaces will gradually unveil their facilities after December of 2023.
Architecturally, Azabudai Hills is characterized by dynamic lower-level structures designed by Heatherwick Studio. These structures seamlessly blend with the surroundings, creating a lush environment where the natural landscape converges harmoniously with the urban expanse.
Photo courtesy of Heatherwick Studio. Learn more about the new campus here.
Heatherwick also was the designer for the British School in Tokyo’s new campus at Azabudai Hills. According to Neil Hubbard, partner and Group Leader at Heatherwick stated “Most inner-city schools don’t have enough playground space and the site was quite restricted. So we wedged playgrounds between each of the classrooms, creating outdoor learning spaces where pupils can explore and interact with each other and their teachers much more freely than in traditional school environments. The brick spandrels nod to the materiality of the historic Azabudai post office and undulate to create open balconies and variety along the elevation. It’s a little bit playful, like a school should be.”
Environmental Sustainability
The commitment to environmental sustainability is evident in the complex's efforts to decarbonize and resource recycling across the city, with plans to derive 100% of the electricity from renewable sources—a target set by the Renewable Energy 100% (RE100) initiative.
Regarding other certifications, Azabudai Hills is positioned to achieve top-tier recognition. The complex is on course to attain a Platinum certification in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) ND (Neighborhood Development) category for mixed-use developments. Furthermore, it is set to secure BD+C (Building & Design/Core and Shell Development) certification for newly constructed tenant buildings.
One of the central cultural highlights of Azabudai Hills is the Mori Building Digital Art Museum: EPSON teamLab Borderless, previously located in Odaiba. This museum, born from the partnership between Mori Building and teamLab, has welcomed millions of visitors globally with its immersive digital artworks.
For residents, Azabudai Hills offers an array of residential options. Around 1,400 new residential units will be crafted, offering modern urban advantages in tandem with a harmonious connection to nature. Notably the Aman Residences, Tokyo, situated atop Mori JP Tower, will offer exclusive living with just 91 units. These residences, managed in partnership with Aman—a prominent luxury hospitality brand—highlight serene living within the bustling metropolis.
Mori Building promotional video outlining developments from 1956 to 2014.
Mori Building Press Release (August, 2023)