Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1

Designed by Kenzo Tange, a 48-story, 243-meter government building rising over West Shinjuku.

Use

Office tower

Area

Shinjuku City

Completed

1990

Floors

48 above ground, 3 below

Height

243.4 m

Developer

Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Architect

Kenzo Tange

Two towers over West Shinjuku

Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo. In a corner of the subcenter where skyscrapers cluster, a government building of 48 floors and a height of 243.4 meters was completed in 1990. This is Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1. Designed by Kenzo Tange, its silhouette — splitting into twin towers in its upper section — stands out against the Shinjuku sky.

The building was erected in West Shinjuku to gather the metropolitan government’s functions, previously scattered across the city, into one place. Placing a public building at the center of the high-rise district further strengthened Shinjuku’s character as a subcenter.

Architecture that shows the shape of a city

The composition of two adjoining towers and the stone-like patterning of the exterior change expression depending on the viewing angle. An observation deck is open to the public, and the building has become a tourist destination as a place to look out over the city center from a height of 202 meters above ground.

A base of administration that is also a place of observation open to the city — combining function and symbolism, this building is often discussed as one of the representative works of Kenzo Tange’s later career. At the time of its completion, it was said to be the tallest building in Tokyo.

Summary

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1 is a government building completed in 1990, with 48 floors above ground, 3 below, and a height of 243.4 meters. Designed by Kenzo Tange, these twin towers continue to stand at the heart of West Shinjuku’s high-rise district as a symbol of the Shinjuku subcenter.

Look up at the sky in Shinjuku and these two towers are the first thing you see. Look back down at the city from the observation deck, and you can take in just how high and wide Tokyo has grown.