In any panoramic photograph of Shibuya's always busy crossing, a structure likely positioned prominently in the background will be the part-wedge-shaped, part-cylindrical Shibuya 109 building. The teen district of Shibuya is continually in flux, with trends and stores coming and going by the week, but the outer silver sheen and bright-red "Shibuya 109" script that characterizes this landmark has endured, with this year marking its 30th anniversary.
"The crowd pours from Shibuya Station and moves outward in many directions," says architect Minoru Takeyama during an interview at a coffee shop across the street from his creation. "The 109 building is at a corner of a major intersection. The idea is for the flow from the station to move around the curve of the cylinder."
But each day thousands of young female pedestrians, in fact, step inside to peruse its 10 floors of clothing boutiques and restaurants, a phenomena so pronounced that this structure has become a launching pad for teen fashion.