Sony Building (Tokyo)

This article is about the building in Tokyo. For the building in New York, see 550 Madison Avenue.
The Sony Building in Ginza

The Sony Building was designed by Japanese architect Yoshinobu Ashihara, and opened on April 29, 1966 in Tokyo's Ginza district (Chūō-ku).[1] It is located at the Sukiyabashi crossroads on Harumi-dori, and is accessible directly from the Ginza subway station via exit B9.[2]

The main showroom section of the building is split level floors up to the 6th floor, with each quarter of the showroom elevated from the previous by 90 cm (35 in), creating a continuous showroom space.[1][3] Another unusual feature of this building is that it leaves a small square facing the intersection open, creating a performance/display space that the architect referred to as "Sony Square".[3]

A major renovation was made in 1992, with the exterior restored to its original condition. Exterior louvers and tiles were replaced, new entrance doors were installed, and the small square at the corner of the intersection was renovated. The original facade, a light display consisting of a large number of 5-inch cathode ray tubes, was replaced with 74 aluminum panels. Interior renovation was done at this time as well.[3][4]

The Sony Building closed on March 31, 2017 and was demolished on the same year and the new Sony Building will be built on this same location, and will open in 2024.[5] During this period, the land will be turned into a park for recreational use through the summer of 2020, when the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games were set to take place.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Sony Building: History". sonybuilding.jp. Sony Enterprise Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Sony Building: Access". sonybuilding.jp. Sony Enterprise Co., Ltd. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Yoshinobu Ashihara Digital Forum: Works ··· SONY Building". ashihara.jp. Yoshinobu Ashihara Digital Forum. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Sony Building: History". sonybuilding.jp. Sony Enterprise Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2013. (in Japanese)
  5. ^ "Ginza Sony Park Construction Update". Sony Park. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
  6. ^ "Ginza's Sony Bldg to be replaced with park". the-japan-news.com. 2016-06-15. Retrieved 2016-06-15.