At Prada Aoyama the glass walls are not the usual transparent curtain-walling (as at Renzo Piano’s Maison Hermes, across town in the Ginza district), but a transparent, structural shell. Within, the structural cores and tubes morph seamlessly into elevators, stairs, fitting rooms and display shelves, giving a sense of continuous shopping space, very much integrated into the architecture.The Prada building sits in a corner of its site, creating a small entrance plaza – an effective gesture of restraint from an otherwise rather unrestrained building. Herzog comments on the rarity of this locally: “Tokyo is a city where not a single building relates to its neighborhood, and every building fills its whole site. We took a chance in creating a little space outdoors, like in European cities. We also reversed the typical Japanese emphasis on looking inward by giving importance to the view.”
Simon Glynn 2005 (updated 2011)
Additional photography Sam Glynn 2005
How to visit
The Prada store is two minutes' walk from Omotesando subway station, in Minami-Aoyama (southwest of central Tokyo). Take exit A5 from the subway station, and follow Omotesando Avenue towards the southeast. You will immediately see the Prada store on your right.
The store is open daily (including Sundays) from 11am to 8pm. For more information and to check opening times please call +81 3 6418 0400.