🌆 Dentsu Tower - Jean Nouvel

Key Links

• Jean Nouvel's Project on Dentsu Tower: Jean Nouvel
• Location on Map: Google Maps

🏢 Advertising Giant

In the Shiodome district, the Dentsu Building stands out not just as the headquarters of Dentsu, the world's largest advertising agency, but also as an architectural marvel. This 48-story skyscraper, a creative work of the renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, uniquely incorporates a shopping complex within its design.

🚂 Historic Site Reimagined

In 1997, Dentsu, prominent in both Japan and globally, secured a site in Shiodome, bordering the beautiful Hama-rikyû garden for their new headquarters. This site was historically significant, having hosted the first Shinbashi station, Japan's earliest railway line's terminus from 1872 to 1909. Embracing change and innovation, Dentsu, established in 1901 by Hoshiro Mitsunaga, selected Jean Nouvel's visionary architectural design in a competitive process.

🌁 Architectural Wonder

Launched in December 2002, the headquarters, soaring to 213 meters, houses 6,000 employees. Its boomerang-like shape and the curved southern facade offer stunning views of the Hama-rikyu garden and the Nakajima-no-ochaya tea house. Beyond its striking aesthetics, Jean Nouvel focused meticulously on the building's acoustic and climatic comfort, earning it the Good Design Gold Prize in 2003 for architecture and environmental design.

🛍️ Community and Commerce

Dentsu aimed to integrate more than just office spaces in this project. They envisioned a combined shopping and entertainment hub, open to the public, named Caretta Shiodome. Designed by American architect John Jerde, this granite and natural material-infused space features a mix of around sixty establishments including restaurants, cafes, a bookstore, a pharmacy, a museum, and a theater. The Ad Museum is particularly notable, dedicated to advertising history from the Edo period to the present. Additionally, the Dentsu Shiki Theater accommodates 1,200 spectators for year-round musicals.

🌃 A View to Remember

One of the 70 elevators in the building is an express lift, swiftly transporting visitors to panoramic restaurants on the 46th and 47th floors. Even without dining, everyone is encouraged to enjoy the breathtaking city views from the 46th floor, open from 10 am to 11 pm, free of charge. Annually, the Dentsu Building's exterior transforms into a stunning display of Christmas lights, adding a festive touch to the Shiodome skyline.