Renovated Okura Tokyo unveiled to the press ahead of public opening
Renowned for melding East and West, old and new with its architecture and design, The Okura Tokyo opened its doors to the press for the first time Friday after three years of renovations, ahead of its public opening on Sept. 12. "We hope that we ...
Mori unveils ¥580 billion project to bring record-breaking skyscraper and urban greenery to Tokyo
The developer behind Tokyo's landmark Roppongi Hills is betting on another upscale project that has been more than 30 years in the making and will require a ¥580 billion investment. Mori Building Co. unveiled Thursday the details of an urban redevelopment project that will feature ...
Designer Thomas Heatherwick injects green relief into Tokyo's concrete jungle with new Mori project
Construction of a sprawling new property development for Mori Building Co. in central Tokyo, which will house Japan's tallest skyscraper at around 330 meters when completed in 2023, finally kicked off earlier this month after three decades of negotiations with landlords. A key figure behind ...
House-flipper takes advantage of Japan's 8 million-plus empty homes
More than 8 million homes lie abandoned across Japan, a symptom of the declining population and people's migration to major cities. For one company, this isn't just an ominous demographic signal, it is also a business opportunity. Katitas Co. is a house-flipper, deploying a business model ...
New York's Climate Mobilization Act aims to make power-gobbling skyscrapers more energy efficient
It's a tall order indeed: How do you make aging, energy-hungry skyscrapers more efficient and less polluting? The city of New York, the historic capital of the skyscraper, is determined to do so by requiring the enormous buildings to drastically curtail their energy consumption. Traditional ...
Office makeovers focus on comfort and productivity as activity-based working takes hold in Japan
The first thing Hiroaki Ninoyu does almost every day when he arrives at work is head to the meditation room. He begins his half-hour ritual at 7:30 a.m. in a Japanese-style room equipped with soothing sounds and lighting effects. Thanks to meditation, "I can focus on ...
Number of abandoned homes in Japan edges up to record high of nearly 8.5 million
Empty homes now account for 13.6 percent of Japan’s housing stock, with the bulk of them concentrated in Yamanashi and Wakayama prefectures, government data show.
Landlords cry foul as NYC climate bill targets Trump Tower and other skyscrapers
New York City has passed sweeping legislation to curb energy demand from some of its most iconic skyscrapers, including Trump Tower. The legislation, approved 45 to 2 in the City Council Thursday, is backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio and will push owners of residential ...
Both the company and the authorities need to determine why such a large-scale faulty construction was allowed to happen and take steps to ensure such problems aren't repeated in the future.
'French Spiderman' Alain Robert is arrested after free-climbing stunt snarls London's financial hub
French urban free climber Alain Robert was arrested Thursday after bringing parts of London's financial district to a standstill by scaling the 46-story Heron Tower, the area's tallest building. The 56-year-old, also known as the "French Spiderman," took around an hour to climb the 230-meter-tall ...
Carrot nanomaterial found to make cement stronger and greener
Crunchy and tasty, yes, but could carrots also strengthen cement and cut carbon dioxide emissions for the building industry? A group of researchers at Britain's Lancaster University has been using a household food blender to mix particles from the root vegetable with concrete to see ...
Historic Tokyo house to become gathering place for executives and entrepreneurs
A 91-year-old historic residence in Tokyo will turn into a business hub starting next month with a goal of helping company executives and entrepreneurs cultivate new ideas and communicate freely, operators of the facility announced Wednesday. The Spanish-style house located near Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo's ...
