HOME Tokyo and Surroundings Tokyo Shibuya Shibuya Marui to be Reborn! Plans Announced to Create Japan's First Major Wooden Retail Building

Shibuya Marui to be Reborn! Plans Announced to Create Japan's First Major Wooden Retail Building

• Written by: Cassandra Lord

Date published: 26 August 2022

Shibuya Marui is getting a makeover. It’s going green.

And when we say going green, we don’t mean the building will literally be painted an unsightly green. Far from it. The company plans to rebuild the store in a functional, environmentally friendly, and oh-so-stylish wood.

Read on to find out about Japan’s first major wooden retail establishment!

Main image: PR Times

Since its opening in 1971, the flagship store has been frequented by all manner of shoppers. From anime lovers flocking to events, to Tokyo fashion-lovers seeking out the latest trends, the shop seems like it caters to almost everyone.

But to make way for the future, the beloved store will be closing its doors to shoppers on August 28, 2022. The business hours of Shibuya MODI will not be affected.

Making use of the latest advances in fire-resistant wood and timber, 60% of the new establishment will be comprised of wood.

Normally, for such a structure, iron would be the main component. But as you may know, the manufacturing of iron produces a lot of CO2. Conversely, the raising of trees for wooden materials absorbs CO2. By creating the new building with wood instead of a conventional metal structure, it is expected that CO2 emissions will be reduced by around 2,000 tons.

The facility as a whole will put a focus on traditional Japanese construction techniques, as well as the efficient use of natural energy such as sunlight. Of course, even after construction, the aim is to implement as many methods of sustainability as possible, such as using renewable energy sources.

The new Marui Shibuya store will start from two floors below ground and rise up to the ninth floor above ground, making it an impressive challenge for wooden architecture.

The floors themselves will span 2,800 square meters, and judging by the images, it looks as though there are plans for an open-air area on the top floor.

The stylish design was envisioned with a British architectural firm called Foster + Partners. They have been pioneers in environmentally friendly and sustainable architecture projects for over 50 years in the industry, and have carried out such projects in more than 45 countries around the world. The senior executive partner of the firm, David Summerfield, expressed his delight to work on the ground breaking sustainable project, so close to the world-famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. He hopes the new facility will provide a warm and welcome space for the visitors.

At this point in time, Shibuya Marui has not announced a timeline for when the new wooden structure will open. They have said they will announce more information as it becomes available.

While we’re sad to see a Shibuya shopping icon close its doors for a while, we’re excited to see the new form it takes on, and to see all the new design features and sustainability measures that take place.

Source: PR Times

Written by:

Cassandra Lord

Cassandra Lord is a British journalist specialising in food, travel, and culture, and has been in Japan for five years after studying Japanese at Edinburgh University for four. With a year of experience as co-editor for LIVE JAPAN, Cassandra has since transitioned to freelance writing, contributing to a variety of platforms including The Japan Times and Tokyo Weekender. During her time in Japan she has visited 25 prefectures, with a goal to eventually visit all 47. She also manages her own YouTube channel, "Cassandra Lord", which is dedicated to all things related to Japanese culinary culture. She also works as a translator and photographer.

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