Tokyo International Forum

Known for its vast glass hall, a complex cultural facility in Marunouchi designed by Rafael Viñoly.

Use

Office tower

Area

Chiyoda City

Completed

1996

Floors

11 above ground, 3 below

Height

60 m

Developer

Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Architect

Rafael Viñoly

A vast space evoking a glass ship

Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo. In a corner close to Tokyo Station stands a complex cultural facility, completed in 1996 and opened in 1997. This is the Tokyo International Forum. It was designed by the architect Rafael Viñoly, and its hall wing — wrapped in enormous glass and steel — is known for a form that calls to mind the interior of a ship.

Its scale, about 60 meters tall and 11 floors above ground, is not that of a skyscraper, but its value lies not in height but in the scale and form of the space it holds within. The glass hall, where curving steel is spanned high overhead, makes visitors look up.

A plaza open to the city center

This facility, equipped with several halls and conference rooms, holds at its center a large atrium and an outdoor plaza. A defining feature is that an open space anyone can drop into is provided right in the middle of the Marunouchi business district.

Built on the site of the former Tokyo Metropolitan Government offices, this building took on the role of placing a venue for culture and exchange in the city center after the administrative functions had moved to West Shinjuku. Beyond serving as a venue for concerts and events, it is used daily as a place to meet or to rest.

Summary

The Tokyo International Forum is a complex cultural facility completed in 1996 and opened in 1997, with 11 floors above ground and a height of about 60 meters. The vast glass space designed by Rafael Viñoly serves as a plaza open to Marunouchi — a precious bit of breathing room in the city center.

When you pass near Tokyo Station, step into this glass hall and look up at the structure arching overhead.