Kengo Kuma’s completed Hinoki-cho tower, a 44-storey high-rise residential tower, located close to Tokyo midtown, in Minato ward. The building is adjacent to Hinoki-cho Park which is considered as an oasis in the central area of the metropolis. The intention of the design is to metaphorically build a tree in the heart of the city. Even though in the last decades the tree-inspired designs have gained popularity on a global level, Kuma’s new project seems to be justified by the hint coming from its toponym, since Hinoki-cho literally means cypress grove.

The concept started from the creation of a mound as a foundation for the tree, reminiscing of the topography that once was present in the area. The roots of the tower correspond to the podium, the lobby and a pool, while the facades of the trunk – containing luxurious residential units – is marked vertically by aluminium panels that are decorated with a bark-like motif. The tower is crowned with a green canopy that shows promise of a new point of view on the urban complexity of the Japanese capital city, becoming part itself of this dense skyline with its silouhette.