Glass-roofed event space to liven up Shinjuku from June

A huge plaza, covered almost entirely by a glass roof and capable of holding 2,000 people, will open around the base of the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building, a skyscraper in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, on June 1.

According to Sumitomo Realty and Development Co., which owns the 52-story office building, the roughly 6,500-square-meter facility is designed to accommodate sports and other events in all weather conditions, and will also provide shelter for those unable to return home due to a natural disaster.

The Shinjuku Sumitomo Building, completed in 1974, is nicknamed the Triangle Building due to its distinct shape. Businesspeople and local residents use an open area near the building in Nishi-Shinjuku as a place to relax, or enjoy the events that are often held there.

 

The plaza is being built as part of a renovation project that began on the aging high-rise in September 2017. The new facility starts from the lower floors of the skyscraper’s sides, and has an angled roof that extends to the corners of the open area. Walls to enclose the plaza are under construction. The roof, made of triple-glazed glass, has a maximum height of 25 meters. When completed, the building will apparently, from the outside, appear as though it is wearing a skirt.

Sumitomo Realty and Development anticipates that the new facility will be used for sports, fashion shows and other events. Large monitors inside will be used for broadcasts of major events. In addition, the plaza will stockpile three days worth of food and water for up to 2,850 people who might take shelter there in the event of a major disaster.

“We hope that this facility will be used by a wide range of people for events, as a meeting place or just somewhere to take a break,” a representative of Sumitomo Realty and Development’s public relations department said. “We want to inject more energy into the area.”