Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

While Tadao Ando’s redesign of Shibuya station is eagerly awaited by architecture fans the world over, less well-known is the skyscraper that will sit on top of the complex. Shibuya Hikarie, scheduled to open in spring 2012, will reach 34 stories into the Tokyo skyline and offer 144,000m² of shopping, dining, office space and cultural facilities. Pride of place goes to the Tokyu Orb Theater, a 2,000-seat, 70m-high gekijo where visitors can enjoy an array of musical performances and a scintillating view of the Shibuya skyline from the spacious, glass-encased lobby.

Info: www.hikarie.jp (Japanese)