Construction has begun on the OMA-designed Harajuku Quest project in Tokyo. The 84,000-square-foot mixed-use scheme will contain commercial and cultural functions set within a building form shaped by two differing urban contexts that interact with the site.

To the south, the Harajuku Quest site is bound by Omotesando, an imposing axial thoroughfare defined by wide tree-lined sidewalks, and a string of flagship retail stores occupied by global brands. In response, OMA’s scheme addresses the street with a “monolithic, transparent face” where a setback towards the top brings light to the interior, and a setback at the ground encourages pedestrian movement through the site.

To the north, meanwhile, the site addresses Oku-Harajuku, a more intimate “village” townscape defined by tight, organic streets and smaller-scale buildings occupied by independent retailers. The area also features a strong youth and creative culture, particularly in the fashion world. The north-facing articulation of OMA’s scheme responds to this context through a series of terraces rising in steps, while a second-floor terrace is expanded to form a large plaza for cultural programs and gatherings.

“The conjunction of Omotesando and Oku-Harajuku embodies a duality of urban context as well as Tokyo’s fashion and retail culture,” said OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu, who led the scheme’s design. “It was essential for the new building to bridge the two areas and express two stories. Like two sides of the same coin, a single building conveys alternate personalities, connected by a new public corridor.”

“Harajuku Quest acts as both a visual and programmatic convergence point of Omotesando and Oku-Harajuku—a gathering place where visitors can experience the activities and aura of global fashion and local cultural scene simultaneously,” the architect added.

Construction began on the scheme in October and is expected to be completed by February 2025.

The scheme is one of several by OMA to feature in our editorial in 2022. In September, the firm was selected to design the University of Illinois’ new DPI innovation hub, while in August, OMA’s long-awaited Taipei Performing Arts Center officially opened in Taiwan.

In July, OMA teamed up with David Chipperfield and Sou Fujimoto to design a $1.4 billion cultural and retail complex in Shenzhen, while in May, the firm designed both a tiered residential tower in Miami Beach and a mixed-use art space in Detroit.

Separately, OMA’s research arm AMO recently collaborated with the French fashion house Jacquemus on the brand’s Paris and London retail spaces.