Faculty of Design
Environmental Design
Reina Okumura
Thesis
Environmental Design
2021
This project seeks to redevelop the department store in Yebisu Garden Place, incorporating the notion of food production as a means to bring people back to the site. Yebisu Garden Place is located in downtown Tokyo right next to the railway, this is a highly dense residential and commercial area. Yebisu Garden Place was built as a replacement of the Yebisu Beer Brewery and became a popular mixed use commercial centre including offices, restaurants, and a department store. However, due to recent development near the station, there has been a decrease in visitors, which led to the closure of the department store. My design solution is to revitalize the existing department store by creating a community food hub to enhance a stronger relationship between people and the site.
““Itadakimasu, Gochisosama” is expressions in Japanese that are used before and after every meal to show appreciation to life, nature, and a person who cooks and serves you a meal. Yebisu Community Food Hub is intended to create an interconnection between people, food, and culture by showcasing the production process of Japanese food and beer culture.”