New York City-based architecture firm, LAGUARDA.LOW Architects, has recently unveiled the design for Grandberry Center, a new 750,000-square-foot transit-oriented development in Machida, Tokyo. Set on the city’s Tokyu Denen-tonshi train line, Grandberry Center will be the center of commerce and activity for Machida – a city in the west section of the Tokyo Metropolis.
The new Grandberry Center development replaces an existing mall and train station and creates a modern, landscaped shopping village with a direct connection to the newly-designed Tsuruma Park. The new train depot, with its undulating roof, tiered gardens, and waterfall create a dramatic sense of arrival.From the platform, a grand stair leads visitors to the multi-level shopping center experience, inclusive of a local food market, retail stores and a cinema. The retail village is organized as a simple loop, referencing a European town typology, with parking positioned in the center. Throughout the loop, visitors traverse a series of open and covered plazas that provide dynamic spaces for socializing, leisure and entertainment.
The buildings are composed of a mix of stone, steel, wood, glass and green walls. The form, scale, and materiality of the buildings were designed to create variation within the development and to blend with the surrounding residential neighborhood.
“Grandberry Centerprovides a warm and modern ambience with sophisticated design that enlivens the surrounding neighborhood for local residents and visitors,” said Pablo Laguarda, Principal of LAGUARDA.LOW. “Its location as an entertainment and lifestyle destination is unique and we look forward to showcasing this development to the Machida community.”
Situated amidst Tsuruma Park, Laguarda.Low’s design removes an existing street to unify Grandberry Center with nature. To combine the two parcels, a new park entrance transforms the natural slope in grade into a dramatic stair, with the ground rising to create a green roof for a new restaurant at the threshold of the park. The firm also designed the main promenade, which features lush Cherry Blossom trees, and a designed new landscape plan with designated spaces for a skate park, urban farm, sculpture garden, children’s playground, expansive lawn and library.
Construction of Grandberry Center will begin in May 2017, with an estimated completion of September 2019. Grandberry Center is expected to officially open in November 2019. Granberry is one of seven Laguarda.Low-designed developments in Japan. Most recently, the firm was the silver award winner of International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) New Development category for their design of AEON Mall Okinawa Rycom, the largest multi-story commercial facility in Western Japan. For more information about LAGUARDA.LOW ARCHITECTS, visit www.laguardalow.com.
About Laguarda.Low Architects
Laguarda Low Architects is an award-winning architecture practice in New York City with a vast portfolio of built work throughout the world. Over the firm’s 16-year history, Laguarda.Low Architects has completed numerous projects, including large-scale master plans, mixed-use developments, office and residential towers, hotels, and retail centers. With a close-knit, creative and international staff of over 50 design professionals, Laguarda.Low’s work is driven by the desire to create vibrant and unique visitor experiences that enhance the client’s overall vision for the project.
