In Pursuit of the Essence of Place

Japanese culture is known for being a melting pot of the traditional and the latest technological innovations. It constantly manages to innovate and adjust to new requirements, without losing its ties to its origins. Tradition and technology sit side by side. Urban design at Nikken Sekkei aims towards a balanced integration of the culture, history and locality of a place with the contemporary requirements of society. Analyzing, understanding and interpreting the very unique identity and character of a place provide the architects with essential knowledge.

Rapid urbanization is often very challenging. When short-term economic interests prevail, the considerations of local culture and identity often drop out of sight, almost becoming “invisible”. Nikken Sekkei continues to emphasize and capitalizes on the essence of this urban context, proposing developments that create pride for local residents, workers and visitors.

The essence of place provides unlimited opportunities to create uniqueness, something all cities around the globe are striving for to position themselves in the global market. Nikken Sekkei mission is to offer cities a unique identity rooted in their history and culture, and integrated into their economic development, that all generations including the next generation can feel a part of and benefit from.

Full content of this issue you can read here

The full version of the article can be read in our printed issue, also you can subscribe to the web-version of the magazine

Materials provided by NIKKEN SEKKEI