{"id":114241,"date":"2025-09-02T13:04:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/114241\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T13:04:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:04:11","slug":"oma-completes-harajuku-quest-in-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/114241\/","title":{"rendered":"OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Harajuku Quest by oma to open on september 11th, 2025 in tokyo<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/oma-rem-koolhaas\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">OMA<\/a> completes Harajuku Quest, a commercial complex in the heart of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-japan\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tokyo <\/a>set to open on September 11th, 2025, when the first stores welcome visitors, followed by a phased rollout from November onwards (find designboom\u2019s previous coverage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/architecture\/oma-shohei-shigematsu-transparent-harajuku-quest-mall-tokyo-10-28-2022\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>). Designed within NTT Urban Development Corporation\u2019s wider strategy for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-tokyo\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Harajuku<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/facades\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">facade<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1152333 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo, unveiling stepped terraces and transparent facade\" width=\"818\" height=\"476\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/oma-harajuku-quest-tokyo-stepped-terraces-transparent-facade-designboom-06.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>images by Forward, unless stated otherwise<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>reinterpreting Harajuku\u2019s Legacy Through Hybrid Hub<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oma.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">team<\/a> at OMA, led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shohei_shigematsu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Shohei Shigematsu<\/a>, seeks to update the <a href=\"https:\/\/harajuku-quest.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">complex<\/a>, 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\u2019s flagship-lined boulevard and the winding alleys of Oku-Harajuku for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s With Harajuku (2020) by extending the pedestrian network and strengthening Harajuku\u2019s identity as a meeting and exchange point.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1152332 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo, unveiling stepped terraces and transparent facade\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/oma-harajuku-quest-tokyo-stepped-terraces-transparent-facade-designboom-05.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>OMA completes Harajuku Quest<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1152331 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo, unveiling stepped terraces and transparent facade\" width=\"818\" height=\"760\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/oma-harajuku-quest-tokyo-stepped-terraces-transparent-facade-designboom-04.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>a monolithic, transparent facade that recedes at both ground and roof level<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1152328 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo, unveiling stepped terraces and transparent facade\" width=\"818\" height=\"719\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/oma-harajuku-quest-tokyo-stepped-terraces-transparent-facade-designboom-01.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>former Harajuku Quest has been closely tied to the evolution of the area | construction images by <a href=\"https:\/\/kotsuchiya.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ko Tsuchiya<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1152329 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo, unveiling stepped terraces and transparent facade\" width=\"818\" height=\"583\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/oma-harajuku-quest-tokyo-stepped-terraces-transparent-facade-designboom-02.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>the reconstruction by the team at OMA, led by Shohei Shigematsu, seeks to update the complex<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1152330 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"OMA completes harajuku quest in tokyo, unveiling stepped terraces and transparent facade\" width=\"818\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/oma-harajuku-quest-tokyo-stepped-terraces-transparent-facade-designboom-03.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>the building acts as a gateway<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Harajuku Quest by oma to open on september 11th, 2025 in tokyo \u00a0 OMA completes Harajuku Quest, a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":114242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[2909,64285,76,354,355,49,48,356,75,13604,5954],"class_list":{"0":"post-114241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-architecture-in-japan","9":"tag-architecture-in-tokyo","10":"tag-arts","11":"tag-arts-and-design","12":"tag-artsanddesign","13":"tag-ca","14":"tag-canada","15":"tag-design","16":"tag-entertainment","17":"tag-facades","18":"tag-oma-rem-koolhaas"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}