So Teruuchi from Tokyo-based firm SO&CO designed a tiny tower only 2.7 meters wide. The shrunk structure serves as an entrance block from the street, that links to a rear building for commercial use. Located in the narrow alleys of Ginza, Tokyo, the idea was to give some visibility to a building that otherwise would have been hidden on the back: a contemporary bell tower that called for attention. Instead of bells, here we have a roof terrace open to the city.

The two-volumes complex sits on a narrow L-shaped plot of just 100 sqm, and is built in reinforced concrete due to a non-resistant ground and difficult access to the building site. With very limited foundation space, the building had to be as light as possible, so the architects opted for wide openings, positioned strategically to better distribute the weight. The front tower is connected to the rear building by a staircase block made of steel and glass that acts as an expansion joint between the two volumes, granting light to the interiors.