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cheungvogl experiment with green-wall gallery-style car park in heart of Tokyo
Land is scarce in the inner city of Tokyo, and restful green spaces few and far between. As such, architects and designers are forced to push the boundaries of design in a quest to incorporate much needed natural elements into the infrastructure of the city.
cheungvogl now present their most recent project - Shinjuku Gardens - in the thriving hub of Tokyo's inner circle. In a conscious effort to make the most of the afforded space, the firm's proposal replaces an existing open parking lot with a 2-storey car park which they believe ‘satisfies the economical interest for profit within a temporary timeframe of several years'. Continuing this efficient use of space and incorporating elements of Tokyo's technology-forward culture, traditional ramps have been replaced by elevators.
The basic concrete cladding of a run-of-the-mill car park has been replaced by wide balustrades to allow grass to coat the exterior of the frame, creating a green wall ‘enriching the neighbourhood's environment with vertical fields of grass'. The car park is also topped with a publically-accessed ‘Shinjuku Garden' - a green oasis in a sea of man-made structures.
Green walls are not the only element to differentiate this design from the millions of other car parking facilities across the country. Traditional strip lighting has been replaced by neon-light installations and the interior walls transformed into gallery space for young artists to exhibit their work. Cheungvogl explain: "The museum-like approach...shows the potential of everyday environment to be an enriching and inspiring experience."
Sian Disson
News Editor
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