The Bespoke Kita Rolls Royce Dawn by Kengo Kuma. Photo Credit - Yoshitaka Kashiwada, Copyright Westbank (RR C4I1988RZ)

The Kita, Aerial.

The Bespoke Kita Rolls Royce Dawn by Kengo Kuma. Photo Credit - Yoshitaka Kashiwada, Copyright Westbank (C4I1140RT)

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Avior, Facade

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The Kita logo

The Bespoke Kita Rolls Royce Dawn by Kengo Kuma. Photo Credit - Yoshitaka Kashiwada, Copyright Westbank ( C4I3172RZ)

The Bespoke Kita Rolls Royce Dawn by Kengo Kuma. Photo Credit - Yoshitaka Kashiwada, Copyright Westbank ( C4I1203RT)

The Bespoke Kita Rolls Royce Dawn by Kengo Kuma. Photo Credit - Yoshitaka Kashiwada, Copyright Westbank (RR C4I0605RGT)

Alberni by Kengo Kuma

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The Avior

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The Kita Tea House by Kengo Kuma, Tokyo, Japan

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"The Avior takes its name from a binary double star – Epsilon Carinae, known as Avior, in the constellation of Carina. A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common barycentre, so close that from earth they can appear as one. The name is a nod to the story of two buildings and their new, unbreakable bond."

While the story behind The Avior is one of blending, layering and gentle transition, these themes relate to the experience of living there, too. Inside, each of the 11 apartments and 2 penthouses is spacious, airy and open-plan, with  high ceilings and huge windows overlooking the  trees. This allows for smooth transition between  living areas, and suggests a soothing symbiosis with the natural world. The clarity and abundance of light is invigorating, yet, at the same time, cocoon-like softness is achieved through materials and beautiful detailing. Outside, Japanese-style gardens surround the building,  with undulating, mossy hills, a scattering of smaller rock gardens, a flowing stream and an abundance of bamboo, maple and cherry blossom trees. Very Japanese in its delicacy, yet  satisfying Western proportions and living expectations in every way, The Avior is a bridge between worlds.

Paying homage to the abundance of beautiful, bespoke ultra luxury residences that shape other global cities, The Kita in Japan represents a rare opportunity for residents to experience a way of living unlike anything else that exists in the city.

The Kita has sweeping, open living areas and an unprecedented amount of space and amenity for densely populated Tokyo. Offering only 12 spacious ultra luxury residences, a dedicated concierge and true artistry of design by internationally renowned architect, Kengo Kuma, The Kita sets a new precedent for Tokyo condominiums and offers a standard of living that will be difficult for to look back from. Intuitive, intelligent, multi-textured, multi-layered and sumptuously comfortable, it speaks to an elevated way of living. 

Both an epoch-making piece of architecture and a timeless work of art, The Kita is a building that reveals itself softly, subtly – not just through sight but all the senses. It is a place where shadows dance, light metamorphosizes surfaces, textures gently intermingle, views unfold, foliage enfolds and materials unveil themselves in slow, compelling ways. There is nothing explicit about it. Rather, it is calm and unobtrusive. Yet it has a profound sense of atmosphere. An atmosphere that envelops you, embraces you, stays with you – and is felt deep in your core.

Private viewings available upon appointment. To learn more about The Kita Tea House and more, please contact us at tokyo@westbankcorp.com or +81 (0)3-6721-0531.

The Kita

Vancouver’s soaring skyline tells the story of Canada’s race to blanket the real estate market with residential units—no fewer than five new high-rises are expected to pop up in Metro Vancouver by 2027. Last June, a curvy newcomer emerged, proving that high density and high design can, in fact, mix. The Alberni is a 43-storey, gravity-defying build, home to 181 apartments, with studios starting at $1.2 million. When units went up for sale in 2017, it quickly became the most valuable pre-sale residential project in Canadian history.

The Alberni is the first North American residential high-rise project by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates, whose next stateside project is the plant-covered Park Habitat building in Silicon Valley, with a lush vertical garden (or “green lung”) in its atrium. “A tower on its own isn’t particularly captivating,” says Balázs Bognár, a partner at Kengo Kuma, which was tapped by Westbank (the Alberni’s developer) for its nature-friendly ethos. “Our focus is how it interacts with the city.”

The Alberni isn’t your average glass rectangle. The tower’s facade has a pixelated effect made with a combo of some glass, anodized aluminum “scales” and more aluminum that’s been treated to have a wood-like finish. The tower’s distinguishing feature—its bend—tilts to maintain its neighbours’ views of the North Shore mountains and Stanley Park. The majority of the units situated on the swoop have larger balconies, so residents can also enjoy the vistas.

There’s plenty of green to be seen at ground level, too. The building’s entrance is held up by two intersecting domes that frame nearby Alberni Street, sometimes called the “Rodeo Drive of Vancouver.” Beneath the domes is a meticulously maintained moss garden, the perimeter of which is lined with a stand of bamboo trees, grown in rural Oregon and shipped to downtown Van.

The Alberni’s very own outdoor amphitheatre sits in a central clearing, complete with a Kengo-designed Fazioli piano—an amenity for residents—and a main stage that’s already hosted outside talent, like Vancouver’s Goh Ballet. For those interested in some post-performance fine dining, the Japanese restaurant Aburi Hana will pop up at the building’s base this month. In 2022, its Toronto location earned a Michelin star.


The Building: Vancouver’s Alberni tower ushers in a new wave of high-rises

After years of anticipation and meticulous craftsmanship, the Alberni by Kengo Kuma skyscraper has reached its completion in Vancouver. Designed by the renowned architecture practice Kengo Kuma & Associates and developed by Westbank, this remarkable 43-story residential tower stands as a testament to the Japanese architect’s first high-rise architectural endeavor in North America. The realization of this ambitious project showcases the fusion of Japanese design sensibilities with Vancouver’s urban fabric, creating a unique and sculptural architectural icon for the growing Canadian city. See designboom’s previous coverage.

THE CARVED-OUT TOWER: ALBERNI BY KENGO KUMA

From its inception in 2016, Kengo Kuma and his practice envisioned the Alberni by Kengo Kuma tower as an iconic structure that would redefine the city’s skyline. The distinctive form he developed with Westbank has come to life, resulting in a dynamic silhouette that gradually morphs when viewed from different angles. The tower’s sculpted shape features two carved-out ‘scoops’ that give way to deep balconies adorned with wooden soffits and decks. These intricately carved recesses not only lend the project a recognizable image but also establish an harmonious connection with its surroundings.

LUSH INTERIORS AND INTRICATE WOODWORK

Strategically located at the intersection of Alberni and Cardero Street, near Vancouver Harbour, Alberni by Kengo Kuma engages with the cityscape on multiple levels. Two intersecting domed vaults at ground level embrace the public realm, creating inviting spaces. Beneath these arching structures, a sprawling moss and bamboo garden welcomes visitors and guides them to the sheltered entrance, which seamlessly flows upward to the stunning swimming pool above.

True to Kengo Kuma’s design philosophy, Alberni incorporates the meticulous use of wood throughout its interior and exterior spaces. Craftsmanship and attention to detail define the project, as intricate woodwork can be found in every corner. This commitment to quality and natural materials is a hallmark of Kuma’s architectural approach.

ELEVATED AMENITIES INSIDE THE RESIDENTIAL TOWER

Beyond its unique architecture, Alberni by Kengo Kuma offers an array of amenities that elevate the residential experience. As part of the development, a Kengo Kuma-designed Fazioli piano graces the communal areas, infusing the ambiance with a harmonious blend of music and architecture. Additionally, residents will have the opportunity to savor the culinary delights of a Japanese Kaiseki restaurant, inspired by the renowned two Michelin-starred establishment, Waketokuyama. These amenities exemplify the commitment to creating a truly immersive and enriching living environment.

Reflecting on the completion of Alberni by Kengo Kuma, the architect expressed his satisfaction with the collaborative process and the project’s execution: ‘Westbank and Ian Gillespie have consistently encouraged us to explore adventurous ideas in each collaboration, and they have been instrumental in supporting our vision to integrate our work with the natural and urban environment.

‘We take immense pride in our work at Alberni, not only in its design but also in its flawless execution. Every key design gesture and detail is expressed with clarity. This marks our ninth project with Westbank, but it is our first high-rise residential endeavor in Vancouver and North America, setting a high bar for us in terms of quality construction, engagement with the city fabric, and architectural and living concepts.’

project info:

project title: Alberni
lead design architect: Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) | @kkaa_official
location: Vancouver, Canada
developer: Westbank | @westbankcorp
previous coverage: April 2016, November 2020, November 2022
completion: June 2023
photography: © Ema Peter | @emaphotographi, courtesy Westbank
executive architect: Merrick Architecture
landscape architect: PFS Studio
engineer: Glotman Simpson Engineers
KKAA project team: Balazs Bognar, Michael Sypkens*, Esteban Ochogavia*, Richard David Nelson, Nicolas Cazali, Jagoda Krawcyk, Yasemin Sahiner, Kevin Clement, Nicolas Guichard, Moeko Yamagata, Shinya Toyama, Tomohiro Matsunaga, Martina Bandolin, John Xianfeng Jiang, Fumiya Kaneko, Takumi Saikawa*, Mira Yung*, Yu Tsuji* (* former staff)

alberni by kengo kuma: a sculptural new tower completes in vancouver

July 11, 2023 - There are few architects who can say they’ve sold full residential towers in a matter of days or weeks. But renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who founded his eponymous firm in 1990, is used to this level of success.

Kuma is considered one of the 21st century's most influential architects and is responsible for the Japan National Stadium; Hôtel Swexan in Dallas; LVMH in Osaka, Japan; Aman Miami; and Alberni by Kengo Kuma in Vancouver. The Aman Miami beachfront residences sold out in 72 hours, even though the project won’t be completed for years, while Alberni sold out in just six weeks. Kuma is known for fusing traditional Japanese architecture with contemporary design and innovative elements. He fuses nature and natural materials, like cedar wood, with modern materials and site-specific design features, which makes each project unique in its own way. When asked about how his design vision has changed over three decades, he cites that it changes with each project.

“My philosophy is to keep yourself updated—copying your past is boring,” Kengo Kuma exclusively tells Forbes. “What I find interesting is that change of vision is brought in by my clients. People who commission us nowadays have a deep knowledge of our work, so they want something unlike our past.”
While he prioritizes modern and contemporary design, he is deeply influenced by old-world architecture and his home country of Japan.

“Traditions and traditional techniques in Japanese architecture are so diversified and differ from place to place and vary according to the age the building was built,” he says. “There is no such thing that can be generalized as ‘Japanese architecture.’ Therefore, reinterpreting Japanese traditions means offering various new designs. There is no way that they become similar. Also, in our practice, we work on a principle that the design should respect the history and the features of the location, which makes every project unique.”

This is also a principle he carries into his work with Westbank. Kuma and Westbank founder Ian Gillespie first met when they worked on a project in Hawaii.

“We were drawn to Kuma-san’s work for his dedication to nature and ability to blur the lines between the natural environment and the built one,” Gillespie tells Forbes. “Later when we invited Kuma-san and his team to Vancouver to work on Alberni, he introduced us to the Japanese design philosophy of layering, which has become a central theme we have been exploring ever since. As we have gotten to know the practice, our respect for Kuma-san and his team has only grown—they bring an entirely different approach to architecture that is contextual and honours its surroundings. They are all extremely talented and their work ethic has been an essential ingredient.”

Kuma is working on six projects with the Canadian developer, including Alberni by Kengo Kuma, which sold out in just six weeks when sales launched in 2016. Alberni is officially the tallest residential tower in North America that Kuma has worked on and the 43-story tower in downtown Vancouver. Amenities include a Kuma-designed Fazioli piano, a Japanese Kaiseki restaurant, and a bamboo forest.

While Kuma has several projects in the works, Alberni in Vancouver is the latest luxury residential tower to be completed and is a prime example of the architect’s singular design philosophy. He worked closely with Gillespie to bring his vision to life and, true to form, he incorporated plenty of nature into the building’s design.

“We’ve not only designed the skyscraper but also built a new relationship between the building and its environment,” Kuma says. “Ian is full of frontier spirit and that perfectly resonates with our style of working. It’s always exciting to work with Westbank.”

In terms of the residential living experience at Alberni, Gillespie says that he finds Kuma is more interested in creating a condition rather than a particular space.

“At Alberni, this has resulted in a residential typology that is uniquely beautiful and experiential,” Gillespie says. “Every detail has been carefully conceived to enrich the overall experience and evoke nature, in material or form. Deep carve outs frame Lost Lagoon to the west and accommodate large, sheltered balconies. Kigumi joinery connects spaces throughout. Wood, stone, moss, and geological formations all find their architectural counterparts. Kuma-san and his team have further designed the interiors of each residence to continue this theme, with light wood finishing throughout and custom cabinetry in organic curvilinear forms.”

As for how Kuma would like individuals to feel in his spaces? He says: “I would like people to feel the energy of nature from our projects, which surpasses the strength of 20th century modernism,” he says.

Alberni has officially opened and more of Kuma’s projects are set to be opened and announced in the coming years.

Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma On Embracing Both Tradition And Modernity In His Global Projects

June 20, 2023 - Japanese architecture studio Kengo Kuma & Associates has completed a skyscraper in Vancouver, Canada, with a curved form and a semi-enclosed amphitheatre at its base.

Called Alberni by Kengo Kuma, the 43-storey residential skyscraper by Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA) is located in downtown Vancouver, near the waterfront in the Coal Harbour neighbourhood.

Its curved structure has a massing that arches away from the street as it rises and straightens out near the top.

The studio described this form as "Boolean scoops", which were included to both preserve the views of the existing buildings on the block and to bring light to the apartments deeper in the skyscraper.

The curve also allows for each apartment in the building to have a recessed balcony and for air to flow through the building.

"The result is sculptural and iconic, distinct on the skyline, but also arising from neighborly and experiential reasons," studio founder Kengo Kuma told Dezeen.

The sides and top of the structure are clad in glass and aluminium panels, while the apartments within the "scoop" have long balconies with wooden details.

The panels are layered in different ways across the facade, creating a textured visual pattern reminiscent of patchwork.

According to KKAA, the skyscraper was designed to respond to the skyline of Vancouver, which is known for its dense cluster of glass-clad skyscrapers.

"The uniformity of Vancouver's skyscraper materiality is both its strength – a characteristic, unified cityscape – and its opportunity to provide something different," said Kuma.

"Our decisions were less a direct reaction to the ubiquitous glass and more an intent to create a tower whose tall mass was made of smaller pieces, keeping to the realm of metal and wood," he continued.

"The tower does not deploy glass as a mass-defining material, and more of a practical enclosure – that is, for the design, the glass is conceptually 'not there'".

The structural beams that run up the facade extend over the entrance massing and connect with the ground, creating an enclosed space where an amphitheatre and moss garden have been created.

The fins that define the long balconies along the "scoop" continue down and work to further shield the semi-enclosed area.

Within the amphitheatre is a Fazioli piano designed by Kuma, a collaborative element included in all the projects carried out by local developer, Westbank, which led the Alberni project.

According to Kuma, the semi-enclosed space was meant to function as an entry lobby for the building. A series of mirror-clad columns transect the open-air space.

"Instead of enclosure, the entrance is a cloud of thin, light elements floating over a performance space," said Kuma.

"Activity and ephemeral elements welcome the city and the building's residents, a very different and much bigger gesture than a small, fortress-like vestibule."

Above the amphitheatre and in the interior pool area is a suspended sculpture meant to resemble a kigumi, a work of Japanese wood joinery. Because of fire restrictions, the sculpture was made out of aluminium treated to look like wood.

KKAA partner in charge Balazs Bognar said that the studio originally wanted to use wood and that the "heartache of giving up this material aspect was a challenge".

The interiors of the public spaces are minimal, with stone and wood details that reference the exterior of the tower. Amenities include the aforementioned swimming pool and a music room with a selection of records and speakers built into the cork-lined walls. A Japanese restaurant will also be opened in the tower.

Kuma said that the structure is in-line with much of his previous work that demonstrates how large buildings can be made from a series of "smaller pieces".

"Our interest is in the relationships to the surroundings rather than solely in the things themselves, and multiple smaller pieces suggests a more porous relationship, as opposed to heavier, solid volumes, to the site via views, air, light," he said.

"For us, a building is not a self-contained object but a series of relationships enabled by architectural actions, he continued. "Some see a building; we see connections and activities."

Other recent projects by Kuma, who founded his studio in 1990, include the Japan National Stadium, created for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Currently, the studio is working with the developer on a plant-covered building in California's Silicon Valley that will feature a "green lung".

Westbank has developed a number of other buildings in Vancouver, including Danish architecture studio BIG's Vancouver House, a 52-storey skyscraper that twists up from a triangular base.

The photography is by Ema Peter.

Kengo Kuma unveils "sculptural and iconic" skyscraper in Vancouver

July 9, 2023 - The lack of uber-luxury apartments in Tokyo, a city otherwise full of indulgent shopping choices, has long baffled foreign investors. But that’s starting to change as new developments with sweeping views, swimming pools and 24-hour valets are snapped up by local and overseas buyers taking advantage of a weaker yen and low interest rates.

At The Kita, a complex designed by award-winning architect Kengo Kuma, a penthouse residence with a rooftop infinity pool was sold last week for around $50 million, according to its Vancouver-based developer Westbank. The 507 square meter (5,457 square foot) unit has a view of the lush forest surrounding the nearby Meiji Shrine.

That deal followed the start of sales for the 1,002-unit Mita Garden Hills by top developer Mitsui Fudosan Co., where one 3-bedroom unit was offered for 590 million yen ($4.1 million) in February. The sales were widely seen as the main reason the average selling price of new apartments in the Tokyo area doubled year-on-year in March. Price gains have moderated since then but were still up 60% in April and 48% in May, according to the Real Estate Economic Institute. 
“The market here is very much under-supplied. That’s why there’s strong demand,” said Tetsuya Kaneko, the head of research at real estate company Savills.  “Also, inbound and full reopening of the border helped."

Japan’s rich, seeking privacy and assisted by private bankers, often turn to off-market deals in which properties aren’t listed. With new, high-end apartments, developers tend to shroud price details in secrecy. But the eye-popping prices of big, luxury developments don’t remain secrets for long. 
Later this year, Mori Building Co. will finish its Azabudai Hills project near the central district of Roppongi. Of the 1,400 luxury units, 91 are Aman-branded residences. A penthouse unit in the 64-story tower has already reportedly been sold for around 20 billion yen, the highest price ever recorded for a Japanese apartment, according to Savills. 

For millionaires on more modest budgets, Toranomon Hills Residential Tower, another Mori development, has a three-bedroom unit with a view of Tokyo Tower for resale at 890 million yen, according to a realtor. 

Mori pioneered the development of sprawling, mixed-use developments in central Tokyo. Its Roppongi Hills project, which opened in 2003, is credited for introducing the appeal of high-rises to Japan’s wealthy home buyers. Traditionally, many of them avoided conspicuous properties, preferring quiet, standalone properties in Tokyo’s western districts. Those who wanted property in the city often opted for discreet homes in relatively quiet, old-money neighborhoods such as Hiroo and Azabu rather than apartments in central business areas. The shift has been slow, but Savills says the concentration of executives’ homes has definitely moved from the outer neighborhoods to areas such as Shinjuku and Roppongi. 

One change, industry experts and executives say, has been the rise ofyoung, tech entrepreneurs who took their companies public in recent years. The typical Japanese buyers of Mori’s Azabudai residences are company founders in their 40s and 50s, according to Kosei Ajima, the company's head of residential business promotion. While some are paying in cash, the Bank of Japan’s prolonged easing stance means borrowing costs are minimal.

Brokers also cite growing demand from overseas buyers who see Japan as a stable and attractive place for a second home. Jack Ma, co-founder of China’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. who’s been spending more time in Japan after criticizing Chinese regulators in 2020, isn’t the only one.

Tokyo-based real estate firm Post Lintel Investment Management, which works with funds and family offices, has seen its luxury residential transactions increase by about 40% in the last two years. The company’s high net-worth clients from Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan are seeking to diversify their assets and take shelter from growing geopolitical tensions around China, according to executive director Joey Yang.

Many of those wealthy Asian buyers are paying in cash or obtaining low-interest loans from foreign banks with local branches. There are few restrictions on foreign property ownership in Japan, and the weak yen also ensures a big discount, brokers said. 

“The yen is cheaper and it’s stayed that way, the political climate in China and Hong Kong has a lot of people shifting their money out, and look at the taxes Singapore has put on foreign buyers,” said Zoe Ward, the chief executive officer of Japan Property Central KK, a brokerage that services mainly foreign clients. 
While the definition of luxury real estate is different in every country, in Japan, the term usually applies to apartments over 100 square meters, although smaller units that cost a few million dollars can still be considered high-end if their buildings come with amenities such as gyms and concierge services. Super-prime properties refer to even more exclusive residences catering to the ultra-rich and typically sell for over$10 million. 

Regardless of the bracket, Tokyo’s luxury apartments are seen as more affordable than comparable listings in other global cities. A prospective buyer with a million dollars can purchase twice as much prime real estate space in Tokyo than they would in New York, and three times more than in Hong Kong, according to Knight Frank’s annual wealth report for 2023. Japan’s inflation, which is picking up after years of deflation and lackluster economic growth, is also bolstering the real estate market on the back of higher labor and raw material costs. Following the burst of Japan’s asset-inflated bubble economy in the early 1990s, properties typically began depreciating from the moment they were sold. But the recent rise in asset prices has meant apartments are starting to maintain or increase in value. Post Lintel’s Yang, who also buys apartments in Tokyo as personal investments, thinks a luxury unit he purchased in 2020 has nearly doubled in value judging from recent sales of similar properties. 
The trend has meant a sea change in the mindset of prospective buyers, who are now faced with the fear of missing out. Yukiko Takano, a real estate advisor at List Sotheby’s International Realty, said more people were beginning to see property as a viable and potentially
rewarding investment. 

“I think Japan is finally realizing that real estate is a commodity,” she said. 

— Lisa Du with assistance by Jane Pong


The Super Rich Are Snapping Up Tokyo’s New Ultra-Luxury Homes

the standard luxury property magazine interview: ian gillespie, founder of westbank, shares the "fight for beauty" to build a body of work in the world's most liveable cities, and the importance of building artistry

May 2, 2021 - westbank presents its master vision for the sweeping transformation of san jose, redefining california‘s silicon valley. marking the world’s stage for innovation, silicon valley has long centered its focus on the digital space, leaving its built environment largely ignored. those who work in san jose spend too long commuting from other areas, only to find their work environments uninspiring and unhealthy. the team presents its newly designed westbank campus as a response to the structure of the city, and how it is failing its occupants and its natural context — finally bringing silicon valley’s built space into the future with a community-focused collection of residences and workspaces.

san jose has long hosted the ingredients for an intelligent and sustainable transformation, and westbank in partnership with urban community, peterson and OPTrust, has taken on the challenge. the sweeping westbank campus campus has been designed by a team of architects including kengo kuma, bjarke ingels group, james k.m. cheng architects, WRNS studio, and studio gang. the development addresses the city’s need for housing, a vibrant sense of community, and sustainable and performative buildings. the team commits to introducing thousands of low carbon residences within walking or biking distance from the inspiring, design-minded new workspaces.

park habitat by kengo kuma 

kengo kuma and associates designs its ‘park habitat’ as park of westbank’s san jose campus to hybridize green park space with living and working environments. the design was developed to address the urgent need to create residential and office spaces that embrace nature, rather than separate is users from it. the project integrates an engaging public realm, a ‘breathing green lung,’ pockets of nature, a responsive facade, and a rooftop park.

inspired by the organic condition of a mossy tree trunk, kengo kuma‘s ‘park habitat’ will recall the picturesque element of overgrown nature. the volume features pockets of green space, scaled to align with a typical office module. these modules are mixed and configured according to views, light, orientation, and function. the complex geometry is in fact shaped by light, itsshifting and stepping volumes informed by their relationship with the sun.

bank of italy by bjarke ingels group

bjarke ingels group will partner with westbank to revitalize san jose’s iconic bank of italy tower. the 95 year-old historically protected building has already seen its interior demolished and will soon be converted to become a new destination at the heart of the expanding city. the bank of italy will include retail, education, cultural club, and workspace programming. the design team at BIG seeks to approach the renovation project under the theme of adaptive reuse, expressing the heritage of the building while adapting contemporary ideas of living and working — resulting in a more dynamic hybridization of old and new.

bjarke ingels group’s bank of italy renovation will sidestep much of the harmful effects of the construction process while introducing a vibrant new sense of community. by reusing the foundation, structure, cladding, and roofing of san jose’s existing bank of italy, the team at BIG will avoid over 6,000 metric tons of CO2. at the same time, the exterior will see the addition of a stack of vegetated, cantilevering workspaces which taper away from the historic structure.

energy hub by bjarke ingels group

continuing its partnership with westbank, bjarke ingels group will realize an ‘energy hub’ as its second project for the san jose campus. surrounded by a network of alleyways, the hub will be located in the city’s heritage district at the convergence of a residential and commercial area. the team aims to maintain this fabric while introducing a porous and engaging mixed-use public realm. to do this, the density is shifted to the building’s upper levels, opening pedestrian access at the level of the street. 

bjarke ingels will divide the mixed use programming between three primary programs. with retail at the street level, the ‘legs’ of the structure will host residential units. above, the more dense upper half of the building will be occupied by workspaces looking outward across the city.

the orchard residences by james k.m. cheng architects

the ‘orchard’ will span two distinct projects within westbank’s campus in san jose. the orchard is comprised of two different sites at 300 s 1st street and 409 s 2nd street, that will be developed as an urban campus. the two sites delineate the major uses of the campus—workspace and rental residential—though the retail, alleyways and public spaces at grade. the residential at 409 s 2nd street by james k.m. cheng architects consists of a single tower designed to respect and celebrate the distinct roof of the existing bo town restaurant, previously on-site. habitable, active and sustainable rooftops with energy capture are common to both sites.

the orchard urban campus is designed in collaboration with james k.m. cheng architects leading the design for the residential component and WRNS, the workspace.

the smaller of the two orchard sites, the residential, will be designed by james k.m. cheng architects. the work will introduce rental dwellings at 409 S 2nd St. to be integrated into the surrounding SoFa arts neighborhood. the concept of the ‘vertical orchard’ is introduced to the urban site to celebrate the agricultural heritage of san jose. by integrating vegetation into the roofs and facades, the vertical orchard not only fully replaces the productive land displaced by the development, but further contributes to agricultural production through the facades of the building.

the orchard workspaces by WRNS studio 

the next ‘orchard’ site within westbank’s san jose campus will be completed by WRNS studio and will be entirely commercial. the larger of the two orchard sites, WRNS’ workspace orchard is split into two towers connected by a podium and will bridge a neighborhood activated by students and a vibrant arts and culture district. a street level market and food hall will be topped by a workspace podium divided between the two towers. the pair of volumes will be connected by a podium with large floor plate workspace and amenities above ground floor retail. The rooftop of the podium also provides an urban theater that can be utilized for public events as well as by the tenants of the building.

the two volumes of the WRNS-designed orchard workspaces are organized with an L-shaped configuration. this L-shape introduces a ‘pulled back’ condition to introduce a generous public plaza at the street level. meanwhile, the connective podium is pushed down to respect the scale of the building’s low neighbors. the rooftop of the podium provides an urban theater that can be used by the occupants and will host public events.

arbor by studio gang

studio gang looks to the ecology and geology of the san jose context in designing the timber ‘arbor’ workspace for the westbank campus. the project seeks to establish a new model for how a typical workspace can mitigate climate change by introducing a new and biodiverse ecosystem. the expressive wood structure will filter the sun and sound and provide access to plantings and terraces that connect its users with nature.

studio gang designs ‘arbor’ to be built with mass timber to substantially reduce both carbon emissions and the physical weight of the structure. the benefits of this construction include speed of on-site construction, seismic strength, and fire resistance, along with a warm atmosphere that celebrates a connection with san jose’s biodiversity and ecological heritage.

Westbank is Transforming San Jose with a Star-Studded Team of Architects

April 4, 2021 - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Kengo Kuma have bridged the luxury automotive and architectural worlds with the unveiling of a first-of-its-kind Bespoke Rolls-Royce Dawn. The singular motor car will debut as a moving representation of the new luxury residence ‘The Kita’ in central Tokyo, designed by Kengo Kuma upon commission by global luxury property developer Westbank.

  - Bespoke Rolls-Royce Dawn in collaboration with architect Kengo Kuma
  - One-of-a-kind creation bridges luxury automotive and architectural worlds
  - Created for rare Japanese penthouse residence, The Kita Tea House
  - Dawn’s styling reflects residence’s clarity of structure with prevailing sense of calm
  - Architect famed for design of the reborn Japan National Stadium

*“It was an honour to collaborate with Kengo Kuma to create a serene and timeless motor car for a serene and timeless building. From the inception of the marque over 100 years ago, Rolls-Royce has transcended the automotive field, taking the tangible entity of a car and delivering its patrons the intangible: a truly unique experience. As this project demonstrates, through the authentic application of unique designs and materials, we can provide rare sensory experiences that reflect and enhance our owners’ multi-faceted lifestyles.”*

__Gavin Hartley, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars__

The Bespoke Dawn was created for the exclusive use of the owner of the unique multi-level penthouse, ‘The Kita Tea House’, which sits atop the newly completed property in the tranquil yet central Kitasando neighbourhood. The penthouse is so named for its rooftop tea house which is framed by views of the Eternal Forest of the Meiji Shrine and Kengo Kuma’s reborn Japan National Stadium.

*“This is the first time I have consulted on a project of this kind and I am proud that I was able to do so for Rolls-Royce, a company with which I share a respect for traditional craftsmanship and a desire to bring out the best in natural materials.” shared Kengo Kuma. “Rolls-Royce has brought the essence of ‘The Kita’ into the car’s aesthetic, allowing the owner of ‘The Kita Tea House’ to take in their surrounding city environment. It is a great honour to see the car finally here at home in Tokyo.”*

As is characteristic of Kengo Kuma’s architecture, ‘The Kita’ challenges the relationship between interior and exterior. The open-top Dawn was therefore a natural canvas for the accompanying motor car, a peaceful and cocooning private space where you are conversely never disconnected from the outside world.

*“The Bespoke Dawn is a beautiful addition to our body of work,” noted Ian Gillespie, founder of Westbank. “Kuma-san’s influence on the Rolls-Royce Dawn is the embodiment of the serenity and beauty he has created in ‘The Kita Tea House’, as an extension of that memory for the individual to enjoy.”*

View the full announcement at [Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub](https://www.press.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/rolls-royce-motor-cars-pressclub/article/detail/T0330431EN/rolls-royce-creates-bespoke-dawn-in-association-with-kengo-kuma "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub").

__About The Kita Tea House__

Without the same abundance of beautiful, bespoke luxury residences that other global cities enjoy, ‘The Kita’ represents a rare opportunity for its residents to experience a way of life and a one-of-a-kind Penthouse unlike anything else in Japan.

Designed inside and out by Kengo Kuma, ‘The Kita’ reimagines Japanese traditions, seeking new meaning for materials and singing an ode to the natural world. ‘The Kita’ not only reinterprets the traditions of Japanese design, but also brings Tokyo something wholly new.

A selection of residences are available at The Kita. Private viewings available upon appointment. For more information on The Kita, please visit [our body of work](https://westbankcorp.com/body-of-work/the-kita), contact us directly at [+81 (0)3 6721 0531](tel:810367210531) or tokyo@westbankcorp.com.

ROLLS-ROYCE CREATES BESPOKE DAWN IN COLLABORATION WITH KENGO KUMA FOR WESTBANK’S FIRST TOKYO PROJECT ‘THE KITA’

March 24, 2021 - The Kita is the first luxury multi-family project in Japan entirely designed by Kengo Kuma, the award-winning architect behind the Japan National Stadium, created for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and the Nezu Museum in Tokyo’s Minato district.

Kuma has worked with Vancouver-based developer Westbank on several projects in Canada and the US. For the Kita, he’s created a “light well” that surrounds the building, with a slatted metal screen as the facade that allows residents to see out, as well as protecting them from the gaze of passers-by. The building has 11 residences, and a one-of-a-kind multi-level penthouse named 'The Kita Tea House'.

The Kita Tea House, features a total of 10,000 square feet of living space spread across three levels, half of which is private outdoor space. It features two private terraces and a roof deck with a 25-foot infinity pool and a tea house, which Kuma will design for the buyer. There are commanding views of the city, the nearby Eternal Forest of the Meiji Shrine and the Meiji Jingu Museum, also designed by Kuma which opened in 2020.

A private design session with Kuma is part of the rare design package. Buyers will be flown to Tokyo to meet the Kuma in his studio, and the residence will be designed to their exact specifications. To make the offering even more distinctive, the Tea House offering includes a Rolls-Royce Dawn convertible that was custom designed by Kuma, his first ever automotive collaboration.

4 Top-of-the-Line Luxury Penthouses From Around the World

January 28, 2021 - In the heart of Silicon Valley, where the landscape is dominated by self-contained tech campuses and low-density car-oriented urbanism, a major new development is bringing in a team of world-class architects to add a collection of mixed-use projects to downtown San Jose. Concentrating modern workspaces and residences near the growing city’s key amenities and forthcoming regional transportation links, the sustainability-minded development could be the start of an urban revolution in the valley.

Led by the Vancouver-based developer Westbank, the development will feature five new or renovated buildings by Kengo Kuma and Associates, Bjarke Ingels Group, Studio Gang, and James K.M. Cheng Architects. In total, they’ll create about 700 new residences, 5 million square feet of office space, and room for an estimated 40,000 jobs. Westbank CEO Ian Gillespie frames it as a reinvention of Silicon Valley’s urban form.

“When you fly into San Francisco and drive through the valley, you drive past one industrial park after another industrial park after another industrial park,” Gillespie says. Though many of the world’s most influential companies are based there, he says few are really doing much to make their own footprint in the area a positive one. “The largest of them seem to be building tools for communications and at the same time they’re putting everyone in an industrial park and isolating them from the rest of the community,” he says. “I don’t know how that happened. I don’t know where along the lines that people decided that an industrial park was a good way to build a community.”

He’s hoping to counter that trend by building more connected office spaces in the center of San Jose—near San Jose State University, planned BART and high-speed rail stations, and all the existing residential, retail, and cultural spaces in a city that’s expected to grow by 400,000 people by 2035. The five buildings are scattered across the downtown core but focus on providing environmentally friendly architecture that extends onto the street level, with landscaping and pedestrian-centric designs that encourage a more tightly woven urban fabric. Each of the projects will run on electric systems and have net zero carbon emissions, with offsets for both their operational and embodied carbon. Construction has begun on two of the five sites, and the developers recently bought a sixth for what Gillespie hopes will be an ongoing wave of transformative development.

“This is not just about trying to build better performing buildings. That goes without saying, and is a pretty low bar,” Gillespie says. “It’s really around the idea that the entire thing is broken. Starting with the fact that housing is divorced from where people work, from where they work out, from where they hang out, from where they eat, from where they go to school, from how they get to and from, how they meet people.”

What Gillespie is trying to do is insert buildings into the urban environment to fix those things he thinks are broken. In contrast to a more built-up city such as San Francisco, he says, San Jose offered both the space and the potential to make this happen at a large scale. “There is a canvas there where we could really make a meaningful impact relatively quickly,” he says.

The plan is strategically important for downtown San Jose, according to Mayor Sam Liccardo. “If we can pull this off, through all of the extraordinary challenges of this pandemic, it could really transform our city in a blink of an eye, which I would define as about a half a decade,” he says.

Liccardo acknowledges that San Jose is not exactly a hotbed of architectural significance. He says the downtown has a “squatty skyline,” largely due to its proximity to the city’s international airport. “With a few notable exceptions, and those are primarily public buildings, our city is appropriately described as architecturally challenged,” he says. The proposed projects could help change that, both in terms of the city’s skyline and its pedestrian experience. “It will raise the bar for public expectations for what development should do for our urban environment,” Liccardo says.

Gillespie argues that world-class architecture is important to ensuring the project can have a significant impact on the city. He’s pulled in most of these big-name architects for other projects in cities such as Vancouver, Seattle, Toronto, and Tokyo, but this will be Westbank’s first collaboration with Chicago-based Studio Gang.

The firm’s principal, Jeanne Gang, says she was attracted to the project by its ambition but also Gillespie’s focus on social equity and climate issues. The building her firm designed for the development is trying to push some limits on energy efficiency and environmentally sustainable materials. Using mass timber as its main building material, the mid-rise office and retail building has low embodied carbon, and Gang hopes it can serve as proof that mass timber can work at scale. “We really have to make this complete shift towards these newer wood technologies. There’s no option. It’s one of these things that has to be embraced,” she says.

The building features a facade of blocks filled with angled wooden shading, a low-tech but varied way of controlling the amount of direct sunlight coming into the building. Its topographical shape also creates areas for green roofs and planted patio spaces that, though designed before the pandemic, are an even more important feature now. “The idea of indoor-outdoor workspace and more fluidity between inside and outside, especially in a place with a wonderful climate like San Jose, it makes total sense,” says Gang. “It should be mandatory to have outdoor space.”

Amounting to 750,000 square feet, the new building also includes and connects to an existing 1980s office building that Studio Gang is adapting for reuse as a more energy-efficient workspace. This kind of reuse, she says, is an important part of reducing the development’s carbon footprint and helped guide the future-focused design of the new building next door. “It needs to be flexible because there’s always going to be changes,” she says. “We’ve been really honing in on that with the structural system and the quality of the spaces. You could easily imagine this building becoming residential someday.”

This kind of adaptation may become more important as Gillespie’s vision for San Jose takes shape. His initial focus is on adding new and more-urban workspaces to the city to counter Silicon Valley’s industrial park past, but he knows that to truly make the transformation happen, office and residential will have to be better mixed. Future projects, he says, will try to augment the new office buildings he’s building with more residential spaces that can make the downtown core even more of a live-work community. Says Gillespie: “As we dug more and more into the shortcomings and the unique challenges that Silicon Valley has, we came to the realization that if we weren’t adding housing that was equally inspiring and was also net zero, then we’re actually contributing to the problem, not the solution.”

Sprawl ruined Silicon Valley. Can world-class architecture help fix it?

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Our latest rental residential tower in the Joyce-Collingwood Neighbourhood is across the street from Joyce I and the Sky Train station. Inspired by the active and dynamic Joyce Street, the design of Joyce II is influenced by the heritage of northwest modernist lightweight structural systems, balconies of steel outriggers, nautical concepts and contemporary prefabrication. The resulting tower's elegant vertical form dynamically shifts at the podium, mid-point, and top, creating dramatic tension points, addressing the contextual environment of Joyce Street, the North shore mountains and downtown Vancouver.   

The tower base features a series of retail spaces and a lobby oriented to Joyce Street. A welcoming public lobby oriented to the new public plaza and SkyTrain will lead the community into the building, while the amenity program at the top of the tower offers indoor lounge and roof deck featuring panoramic views.

5055 Joyce

Designed by Studio Gang, Terraine will provide much-needed rental housing in San Jose, to complement the Arbor’s workspace,  creating a highly sustainable, live-work neighborhood. Employing a mass timber hybrid structure, the building will target net zero carbon.

The two buildings, Arbor and Terraine — separated between their residential and workspace programming — will share resources, energy, and a public realm along the level of the street. The urban intervention will activate the neighborhood and generate a lively street life. Both Terraine and Arbor are climate responsive structures, designed to be highly sustainable and to adapt to varying environmental conditions on different sides of the site.


Terraine

The Raven is a new rental project on Vancouver’s West Side, bordered by Kitsilano and Point Grey, and our first project to be completely designed by the boutique Vancouver-based design firm, Leckie Studio. A young, award-winning interdisciplinary practice whose past focus has centered on beautifully-designed single-family homes, our collaborations with Leckie Studio have created some of their first multi-family residential designs.

We are committed to making a significant long-term contribution to Vancouver’s rental housing supply and this project will bring approximately 164 secured rental units, with 20% of the residential floor area allotted for moderate-income households.

The Raven

The Energy Hub is designed to complement the adjacent Bank of Italy building also by BIG, while creating a mix of retail, rental residential and workspace with expansive floorplates. Connecting two alleys on either side of the site, an arch cuts through the project creating an expanded public realm and urban room that will activate the entire surrounding neighborhood. The Energy Hub’s name comes from the two kinds of energy it creates: the photovoltaic panels on the louvers and the roof harness energy from the sun and the public realm generates human energy, from the connections and interactions it helps foster. 

The Energy Hub

The Orchard residential building (409 South 2nd Street) is part of a two project campus, composed of workspace and residential. Designed to integrate and celebrate the existing mid-century Bo Town restaurant structure on the site at the corner of San Salvador and S 2nd Street, the building adopts an L-shaped plan, to both maximize the efficiency of its program and highlight the heritage of the restaurant, with its iconic folded roof and populuxe, space age-inspired elements. The residential building includes approximately 540 market rental homes. 

The Orchard Residential

A historic downtown landmark, Bank of Italy is one of the most iconic buildings in San Jose. With a rich history based upon Amadeo Giannini's legacy as the founder of Bank of America,the building is distinct in both appearance and location. Bank of Italy's conversion will restore and celebrate its historic architecture while bringing new, inspiring workspace and retail designed to reenergize downtown San Jose, and create a unique destination in the city. 

The tallest tower between San Francisco and L.A. until the 1980s, Bank of Italy is a statement building in the heart of Downtown San Jose whose podium offers some of the most high profile retail space in the city. We’re interested in using this project to bring something different to the city. We envision a mix of workspace, retail and cultural space as a way of bringing creativity to the built environment and also an amazing amenity for downtown San Jose.

Bank of Italy