Award Number :10C05019 Award-winning item : HIBIYA KADAN Company : HIBIYA KADAN Designer : Office of Kumiko Inui

A rebuilt florist shop, just under 100m² total in floor area, divided into several small structures that are 7.5 m high (equivalent to the shop it replaced). All four sides of each structure have large openings, creating an interior with an open feeling that the word "indoors" cannot capture. The buildings blur the boundaries between the inside and outside so that they can hold their own with the gentle environment that is in the outdoors but is not simply outdoors, created by the space shaded by trees from the park. The ceilings are high and walls almost non-existent. The various facets fit the surrounding scenery that is unique to each structure and are packed at a surprising density into structures that are so small and light they seem to be nothing more than an assemblage of parts of a structure.

"Streetscapes are an important element in the atmosphere of an urban park. This florist's shop is near the entrance to Hibiya Park and is built at the boundary between the streetscape and the park. Whether you are looking at the park from the street or at the street from the park, the shop appears with dignity toward you. Partitioned into five spaces, the shop has large openings on all sides and each space seems to incorporate the surrounding landscape and exist in harmony with its environment. The partitions have succeeded both in giving the entire structure a lightweight, rhythmical air and in creating resonance with the cityscape. Located by an urban park, this marvelous structure naturally conjures up images of "elemental design," "nature," and "dignity."

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