Akasaka Intercity AIR

A 38-story, approximately 205-meter office tower completed in 2017. Its 5,000 m²-plus green space earned the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award for rooftop and wall greening — making it one of Tokyo's most notable environmentally conscious skyscrapers.

Use

Office tower

Area

Minato City

Completed

2017

Floors

38 above ground, 3 below

Height

205 m

Total floor area

approx. 178,328 m²

Developer

Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate (now: NS Kowa Real Estate)

Architect

Nihon Sekkei

A Skyscraper Built Around Green Space

Exit Tameike-Sanno Station through the underground passageway and you walk directly into the building. Step outside and a green expanse of over 5,000 m² stretches across the site along Roppongi-dori, with the glass-faced tower rising behind it. Akasaka Intercity AIR is a 38-story, 3-basement office tower standing approximately 205 meters tall, completed in August 2017 in Akasaka 1-chome, Minato City. Its gross floor area reaches approximately 178,000 m². The project was led by Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate (now NS Kowa Real Estate) through the Akasaka 1-chome District Urban Redevelopment Association, with Nihon Sekkei as architect and Obayashi Corporation as general contractor.

The tower is positioned along the western edge of the site facing Roppongi-dori, freeing the central and eastern portions for an unbroken green zone — a deliberate layout choice that defines the building’s character. The green area won the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award at the national Rooftop and Wall Greening Technology Competition (2019). The building also holds a CASBEE S-rank and a 5-star DBJ Green Building certification, reflecting its commitment to environmental performance. The official concept, “city-making rooted in greenery,” is one rarely spelled out so plainly — and here it is carried through to the physical reality of the site.

Carrying the Memory of the Tameike Pond

The name Tameike, shared by the nearby subway station, recalls a large pond that once spread across this part of Edo-period Akasaka. The water is long gone, but Akasaka Intercity AIR incorporates a water feature on its grounds, evoking a faint memory of that vanished landscape in a contemporary setting. The building connects underground to both Tameike-Sanno Station and Kokkai-gijidomae Station, and given its proximity to Japan’s government district, it is also equipped with emergency shelter space for stranded commuters and backup power supplied by gas turbine generators. Everyday convenience and disaster preparedness coexist in a building that takes its responsibilities to the surrounding city seriously.

Summary

Akasaka Intercity AIR, completed in 2017 as a 38-story tower rising approximately 205 meters, stands as the flagship property of NS Kowa Real Estate. With over 5,000 m² of green space and top environmental certifications, it offers a compelling model for how an urban office tower can open itself to the city around it. Take the underground passage from Tameike-Sanno Station, emerge into the greenery, and a different side of Akasaka comes into view.

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