Master planning the Second Development zone in Umekita Area is a transformative moment for Osaka, a chance to create a brand new hub, world class and unforgettable, at its very center.
The proposal can broadly be divided into three interrelated zones: center-east, south, and west. The center-east zone comprises the largest portion of the site and has been reserved for a grand open green space. The south zone is reserved for the largest development sites, while the west zone is characterized by a mix of uses, scales, typologies, and a range of community-scaled plazas, passages, and gardens.
The park is characterized by topography that gently rises and falls as it conceals the new JR station facilities, spans Osaka Station North-side Road No. 1, and meets existing grade at the edges of the site. A series of park zones of varying character and program are organized within an open matrix of paths connecting key points on the eastern and western edges of the site; together these paths form a continuous, unifying circulation loop within the site.
Show Facts
Site
A triangular site near Ebie-Umeda Road in the Umekita Area of Osaka, in close proximity to Osaka Station and the CBD.
Area
Total above-grade development site area: 520,000 m2, total below-grade development site area: 112,000 m2; total below-grade public site and infrastructure area: 30,000 m2.
Components
Development sites: 80,000 m2 of above and below-grade cultural and entertainment facilities; 196,000 m2 of office space; 357,000 m2 of live-work, R&D, hotel and residential space. Public sites and infrastructure (below-grade) : 6,000 m2 for JR Tokaido Line station, a 17,000 m2 shopping concourse, and a 7,000 m2 bus and taxi facility.
PCF&P Services
Master planning
lead designer
In keeping with Osaka’s characteristic underground, ground level, and above ground systems of circulation, the proposal responds in kind, taking care to integrate multiple levels of connectivity.
Urban analysis
Connectivity
Lattice
Project Credits
Landscape: Ken Smith Landscape Architect, New York; Infrastructure Planning: LEVEL Agency for Infrastructure; Real Estate & Economy Development Strategy: HR&A Advisors; Images: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, PCF&P