OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo

Harajuku Quest by oma to open on september 11th, 2025 in tokyo

OMA completes Harajuku Quest, a commercial complex in the heart of Tokyo set to open on September 11th, 2025, when the first stores welcome visitors, followed by a phased rollout from November onwards (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Designed within NTT Urban Development Corporation’s wider strategy for Harajuku, the 4,300-square-meter project bridges the two distinct contexts of the grand, tree-lined Omotesando Avenue and the dense, intimate Oku-Harajuku district.

The redevelopment, which began construction in October 2022, shapes its volume differently in each side. Toward Omotesando, the volume is pinched and pulled within its zoning envelope, resulting in a monolithic, transparent facade that recedes at both ground and roof level. The setback at the street creates a funneling passage into Oku-Harajuku, while the upper recess brings daylight deep into the block. On the opposite side, the mass steps and fans out into terraces facing Harajuku, offering open-air platforms where programs spill outward. 

images by Forward, unless stated otherwise

reinterpreting Harajuku’s Legacy Through Hybrid Hub

Since its original debut in 1988, the former Harajuku Quest has been closely tied to the evolution of the area, adapting to the shifting currents of fashion, youth culture, and urban change. The reconstruction by the team at OMA, led by Shohei Shigematsu, seeks to update the complex, reinterpreting that legacy for the present, proposing a hybrid form that mediates between globalized retail architecture and the human-scaled fabric of backstreets known for independent shops and creative subcultures. The building acts as a gateway, drawing flows of people between Omotesando’s flagship-lined boulevard and the winding alleys of Oku-Harajuku for the first time.

A second-level public plaza centers the design, conceived as a new civic datum within the district. This elevated space expands the conventional retail experience into a stage for cultural programs and gatherings, weaving local life into the site and blurring the threshold between commerce and community. Along with alleys, squares, and casual meeting spots, the project builds on NTT’s With Harajuku (2020) by extending the pedestrian network and strengthening Harajuku’s identity as a meeting and exchange point.

OMA completes Harajuku Quest

a monolithic, transparent facade that recedes at both ground and roof level

former Harajuku Quest has been closely tied to the evolution of the area | construction images by Ko Tsuchiya

the reconstruction by the team at OMA, led by Shohei Shigematsu, seeks to update the complex

the building acts as a gateway