

florian busch architects playfully places windows on r4 building in tokyo

all images by nacasa + partners

the ‘r4 building’ in tokyo, perched on a hill in an inner city location, is an office building by the architects at florian busch. the site proved challenging in the early stages, there were clear constraints illustrated in the narrowness of the road, the neighboring cemetery and being sandwiched against a towering 40m building. the approach resulted in a three-storey, modest, concrete structure including a roof terrace with different sized and playfully placed windows punctuating the envelope. the windows provide varying focal points whilst framing the surroundings at discrete levels. internally, the floors address an adaptable strategy, with brightly lit rooms, timber details and the levels eventually lead up to a timber decked roof garden where the square form of the windows have been extended onto the roof to form sunken seating and planting areas for foliage.



the building is flanked by a 40m neighboring apartment block

image © nacasa + partners



the site, on a narrow and curving street dictatesthe form of the building

image © nacasa + partners



concrete façade

image © nacasa + partners



the first floor

image © nacasa + partners



the second floor

image © nacasa + partners



the windows are randomly arranged providing the interior with plenty of daylight

cimage © nacasa + partners



the roof terrace

image © nacasa + partners



image © nacasa + partners



the r4 in the evenings

image © nacasa + partners



concept demonstration of the envelope

image © florian busch architects

project info:

address: roppongi, minato-ku, tokyo

programme: office

land area: 145.2m²

floor area: 412.3 m² + 102.7 m² roof terrace

materials: reinforced concrete

floors: 3 floors above ground , 1 basement

project team: florian busch architects

structural engineering: akira suzuki / asa

environmental & mechanical engineering: ymo

contractor: shin corporation