Labeled the Champs Elysees of Tokyo, tree-lined "brand boulevard" Omotesando is one of Japan's most treasured strips. Acting as a conduit between the posh Aoyama district and youth mecca Harajuku, it houses a wealth of highly original retail experiences.
The street is also a showcase for some of the most exciting pieces of architecture in the world from Japan's most celebrated architects. Kengo Kuma's largely ignored, but brutally brilliant, One Omotesando, Jun Aoki's shimmering Louis Vuitton flagship, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryuei Nishizawa's silky Dior tower and Toyoo Ito's interweaving concrete branch design for Italian luxury brand Tod's are all prime examples of why Japanese architecture is regarded as some of the most creative and innovative in the world.
Of course, one name has been conspicuously absent from the showcase lining the street -- that of Tadao Ando, Japan's most celebrated architectural innovator. With the unveiling of Omotesando Hills, constructed by Mori Building Co. at a cost of some 19 billion yen, Ando has finally made his mark on Tokyo's most architecturally inspirational milieu. And the 34,000-sq.-meter edifice, spanning almost 250 meters of the street, is a bold and indelible mark indeed.