New Haven, Conn., architectural firm Pickard Chilton designed the master plan for the development, called Global Gateway Shinagawa, which sits on a former train yard that stretches a full mile north to south.
Seven buildings will be lined up on the long and narrow site like islands of the Japanese archipelago, says designer William Chilton. Construction is set to begin soon after the Tokyo Olympics in July and August, with partial opening scheduled for 2024.
While Manhattan landlords are only beginning to explore new functions for entrances and lobby spaces, with some adding a cafe or tenant-only lounge space, owners in other cities such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City have gone further, turning private ground-floor spaces into public gathering spots.
The design for what would be Milwaukee's tallest new office building in more than 20 years, combines two motifs that often compete: a high-rise exterior typically associated with staid finance and law firms and a large, open interior popularized by Silicon Valley.
Despite sluggish demand for U.S. office space, a handful of developers are moving forward with plans to build new office towers even before they have lined up tenants-reviving the risky game of speculative development. Hines plans to start construction soon on a 45-story office tower in Chicago's West Loop.