TOKIO.
Founded in Hiroshima, Japan in 1984, Uniqlo is a global apparel retailer with over 2200 stores worldwide. In 2019 Uniqlo approached Herzog & de Meuron to reinvigorate an existing department store building in Ginza as a new global flagship store named UNIQLO TOKYO: a store showing the full range of Uniqlo’s «LifeWear» and embodying the philosophy of high-quality, functionality, affordability, innovation and enjoyment for everybody.
The existing building Marronnier Gate is located at the edge of the dense urban fabric of Ginza, a district in the center of Tokyo with a high concentration of luxury stores. In contrast, adjacent to the site is the open expanse of a wide avenue and elevated roadway. Thus, there are two perceptions of the building – tight, fragmentary glimpses from Ginza, and broad vistas from the roads and trainlines to nearby Tokyo Station. In both cases the exterior is perceived as a closed volume, revealing little of its content.
Where the building meets the street, the exposed concrete frame becomes a type of «arcade» that welcomes shoppers off the street. The structure is left open at the two corner entrances, anticipating the tall plaza inside, with full-height glazed facades. Mirrored exterior ceilings reflect the interior displays, bringing Uniqlo’s products into the visual periphery of pedestrians. Distinct signage cubes – a reference to Uniqlo’s graphic identity — define the outer edges of the building and mark Uniqlo’s presence in the city from all sides. These cubes offer an opportunity to display dynamic graphics from designers and artists, becoming part of Ginza’s active nighttime image.
Marronnier Gate returns to its essence: by stripping away a conventional retail interior, the functional beauty and simplicity of the building’s original concrete skeleton is revealed and is used to generate new spatial excitement and possibilities. UNIQLO TOKYO and its beloved products are no longer hidden and now shared with the city outside. 
Photos: Herzog & de Meuron, 2020.
