Text description provided by the architects. The goal of this project was to revitalize a large urban park that has existed for many years in the Sakae district of downtown Nagoya, Japan's third-largest city. In addition to the redevelopment of the park after around 60 years of use, a new "Park-PFI" system was adopted in which commercial facilities were also constructed using private capital, with these facilities being operated for a fixed term (of 20 years) together with the operation of the park.
First, a "Vista Line" was established in alignment with the park redevelopment extending 1 km north to south, using the famous TV tower (constructed in 1954) — the symbol of Sakae — as an axis. 24 commercial buildings were constructed around five public squares and a water feature. The commercial buildings are linked by pedestrian decks and passages. The renovated design took the sequence of the facilities into account when deciding on building placement to make sure that strolling would be enjoyable and that there would be places where visitors can choose to spend time, while always being aware of the presence of the TV tower.
Moreover, as the site passes through various different parts of the city, from the vibrant shopping and entertainment district of Sakae to the serenity of Sotobori-dori near Nagoya Castle, the building density, the types of invited tenants, and the plaza planning were done so as to achieve resonance between the park and the adjacent urban context.
The goal was to create a new type of park, filled with vibrancy and an abundance of different settings, by "overlaying" various elements: the Vista Line, the plazas, the store spaces where people can enjoy strolling, the vertical linkages with the subway and the underground shopping mall, the horizontal expanse of the park with the Sakae district as a whole and so on.
The store facilities — a cross between open terraces and pergolas — are in harmony with both the park and the surrounding environment. The vibrancy of the stores is transmitted to the park, and the irregularities, shadows, and colors of the outer walls create diverse appearances in the areas of pedestrian transit between the park and the stores.
The overgrown trees in Hisaya-odori Park that had continued to grow for 60 years had cut off the park from the light and hindered the growth environment of the trees themselves. In the redevelopment, under the supervision of a tree surgeon, healthy trees were relocated, and the trees that would remain were selected, in order to restore a healthy growth environment and transform the park into a place filled with bright sunlight.
