Main author
Michael BrooksFuji TV Building, Tokyo
See the Unusual building of the week series here.
The Fuji TV Building is one of the most bizarre buildings in Japan. It is located in the waterfront area of Tokyo’s Minato district. The ultra-futuristic building was designed by the architect Kenzo Tange and completed in 1997. It serves as the corporate headquarters of the Fuji Television Network and houses several studios.
The 25-storey building consist of two towers connected by three enclosed pedestrian bridges, called ‘sky corridors’ which are supported by four steel columns. The corridors help to strengthen the overall structure, making it highly earthquake resistant.
The centrepiece of the building is the titanium silver ball which measures 32 m in diameter, and weighs 1,350 tons. Inside the ball is an observation platform which is open to the public, offering unobstructed views of Tokyo and Mount Fuji.
Raising the ball into place was a major engineering challenge which took a total of 9-and-a-half hours. It was balanced horizontally on, and supported by, three beams, before being raised to its finished height of 123 m by hydraulic jacks.
The studios inside both towers are insulated against the noise from the surrounding transport infrastructure and radio waves from ships passing in and out of the bay area. Acoustic performance was increased by using glass wool insulation for the studio floors, walls and ceilings.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Building of the week series.
- Calakmul Corporate Building, Mexico.
- CCTV Headquarters.
- Gate Tower Building, Osaka.
- Guangzhou Circle.
- Habitat 67.
- High-tech architecture.
- Kobe Port Tower.
- Lloyds of London.
- Office Center 1000 Kaunas.
- Megastructure.
- Metabolism.
- Ministry of Transportation Building, Georgia.
- Nakagin Capsule Tower.
- Phoenix International Media Center, Beijing.
- Robot Building, Bangkok.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Wonder Egg, Japan.
Featured articles and news
Open industry engagement survey seeks responses
Institutions and the importance of engagement.
National Retrofit Hub unveils new guide
Digital Building Logbooks and Retrofit: An Introduction.
Top 50 firms awarded 52bn of projects in the last year
New engineering data shows.
Enhancing construction site reporting efficiency
Through digitisation and the digital revolution.
Noise in the built environment
BSRIA guide TG 20/2021.
17,000 people suffer conditions as a result of exposure to excessive noise at work.
Turning down the noise: Auditory health
A pervasive risk with far-reaching consequences.
Getting the most out of heat pumps and heating
How heat pumps work and how they work best.
Plumbing and heating for successful retrofit and renovation
Low temperature underfloor systems and heat pumps.
Cost-of-living crisis and home improvement plans
Starting on the right footing and top tips for projects.
Delays on construction projects
Types, mitigation and the acceleration of works.
From Chaucer to Fawlty Towers.
Electrotechnical excellence, now open for entries.
Net zero electricity grids BSRIA guide NZG 5/2024
Outlining the changes needed to transition to net zero.
CIOB Global Student Challenge 2024
Universitas Indonesia wins for second year running.
ECA 2024 Apprentice of the Year Award
Entries open for submission until May 31.