Prada Aoyama epicenter

Haute couture and star architecture have grown to understand each other rather well in the recent years. Major fashion brands distinguish themselves by inviting world leading architects to indulge themselves in the design of flagshipstores and extravagant showrooms. The highest density worldwide of such state of the art showpieces can arguably be found on and around Tokyo's Omotesando. One of the most impressive contributions to this phenomenon is the Prada 'epicenter'. This 33 meter high building has a façade like a membrane which is built out of wedge shaped elements that frame flat, convex and concave windows. These element also form the outer structure of the building. Closed horizontal bracings not only make the frame rigid, but also house the more private dressing rooms within this transparent building. Everything about the building tells us that money was not an issue. But perhaps the most costly design choice of all was to leave a large part of the expensive plot un-built.