Warm honey-toned oak partitions establish a compelling visual rhythm within Ayano Nakasato's Shibuya Tsutaya Commercial Complex, organizing an expansive retail interior into intimate cellular workspac

Warm honey-toned timber constructs a monumental cubic volume that anchors this retail environment, establishing a structural armature governed by post-and-beam logic reminiscent of traditional joinery

Ayano Nakasato's Commercial Complex presents a meticulously orchestrated retail interior architecture where cool neutral tones establish an atmosphere of contemporary minimalism and sophisticated mate

Ayano Nakasato's Commercial Complex presents a masterfully conceived interior environment where exposed industrial infrastructure transforms into a compositional element of striking geometric authorit

An elevated nocturnal vantage captures a densely layered urban retail environment where a central architectural mass rises through a constellation of surrounding commercial structures, the composition

Silver Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2026

Shibuya Tsutaya Commercial Complex

by Tonerico:Inc.

A' Design Award 2026 Silver Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Awarded April 15, 2026
Estimated Number of Design Views: 19,380
Verification code 2E041310B4 · Verify this award

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About Shibuya Tsutaya Commercial Complex

Shibuya Tsutaya is a commercial complex located at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. The building was stripped back to its structural skeleton, and the bare spaces were unified in gray materials to form a neutral canvas. Each of the two basement levels and seven upper floors has its own character, yet every area is intentionally left unfinished to allow future change. Non-essential elements were removed to create clear sightlines and simple circulation. About 500 seats and digital directories serve visitors, and a large screen on the facade shows news and event information.

Ayano Nakasato's interior for this commercial complex exemplifies a distinctive contemporary approach to retail and workspace hybridization that has emerged as a significant typological development within experiential commercial architecture of the current decade, merging the contemplative qualities of traditional reading rooms with the accessibility of modern retail environments and the functionality of collaborative workspaces. The design demonstrates remarkable sensitivity to the phenomenology of focused attention, creating cellular enclosures that provide psychological shelter while maintaining visual connection to the broader spatial community through carefully calibrated partition heights that sit below eye level when standing yet provide privacy when seated. The material palette reveals thoughtful consideration of haptic experience, with warm wood surfaces inviting tactile engagement while maintaining the precise geometric discipline that characterizes refined commercial interiors. The deliberate exposure of ceiling infrastructure participates in a broader architectural discourse regarding authenticity and the celebration of building systems as aesthetic elements, here deployed to create dramatic spatial height and visual complexity that counterbalances the domestic scale of the individual work booths. The integration of merchandise display within the workspace partitions represents an innovative approach to commercial programming, transforming the boundary between retail browsing and productive occupation into a fluid experiential continuum where engagement with collectible culture becomes ambient rather than transactional. The lighting design merits particular attention for its layered sophistication, combining warm uplighting from display cases, directional task illumination, and diffused natural daylight to create an environment of visual comfort that supports extended occupation. Viewers might contemplate how this spatial organization reflects evolving relationships between commerce, community, and individual concentration in contemporary urban life.

Press Kit

Unique Properties: Shibuya TSUTAYA was stripped down to its structural skeleton, with the raw space unified in gray materials to create contrast with later-added elements and to preserve an “unfinished” canvas throughout the building.
While each floor maintains its unique character, no area is ever fully designed—each is intentionally left open-ended. This deliberate unfinished incompleteness suggests the potential for future transformation.
Dimensions & Packaging: On the first floor, the entrance was widened by adjusting the angle of the sash doors, and a secondary entrance was added on the Center-Gai shopping street side along the diagonal axis.
To accommodate the building's complex layout, comprising two basement levels and seven floors above ground, and its reliance on escalators for vertical circulation, all non-essential elements beyond regulatory requirements were removed to create a clear, connected spatial flow with uninterrupted sightlines.
Tags: Shibuya, TSUTAYA, Renewal, Unfinished Space, Skeletonization, Flexible Space, Commercial Facility, Visual Connectivity, Dynamic Design, Evolving City
Production Technology: To maximize the floor area on every level, the core zones—including back-of-house spaces—were organized so that, even in their bare state, they serve as a neutral spatial backdrop.
Alongside this structural skeletonization, the bare spaces were unified with gray materials to distinguish them from the elements inserted later, intentionally leaving a gray “canvas” throughout the space.
Design Challenge: Since visitors come from diverse countries and regions, the circulation plan needed to be intuitive and encourage proactive movement.
Additionally, to facilitate information access within the facility, strategically placed digital directories provide updates using minimal text and strong visuals—benefiting users while also easing operational demands.
Project Duration: The project was launched in Tokyo on March 5, 2021, and opened in Shibuya, Tokyo on April 25, 2024.
Operation Flow: Situated at the iconic Shibuya Crossing—where approximately 500,000 people pass daily—the building’s façade features a large LED screen designed for visibility from multiple angles.
This screen continually broadcasts not only in-house event updates but also news and timely advertisements, transforming the architecture into a dynamic hub that connects the city, its people, and businesses.
Research: Shibuya is a town where people from many different countries, regions, and generations come and go. Therefore, we conducted thorough research on the surrounding area. We surveyed people in the town to learn what they currently need and what is lacking, and we reflected these findings in the floor layout. For example, many respondents noted a lack of places to rest, so we decided to include approximately 500 seats in the facility.
Inspiration: Shibuya is a hub of creative energy—constantly evolving, and defined by its openness to change and its allure as an unfinished city. This nature inspired the project’s core concept: “leaving space unfinished.”
The concept took years to develop, beginning with a full structural reset to explore the site's potential. Located directly at Shibuya Crossing, the design reimagines how the space can respond to the present moment and act as a new cultural platform.
Image Credits: Main Image: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #1: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Nacása & Partners Inc., SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, 2024.