Rooftop Orchestra | Takumi Takahashi

Ginza is one of Japan’s most prominent commercial and entertainment districts, and hidden in the sky above the hustle and bustle of the streets below is the oasis of GINZA SIX’s rooftop garden. This oasis is, however, as a by-product of its lofty, location not particularly well-known and GINZA SIX was looking for a way to promote the garden and drive traffic through the shopping and dining areas of the lower levels.GINZA SIX, our client and venue, is a commercial complex that opened in 2017. The client wished to offer an experience on its rooftop garden over the summer (August to October), to attract visitors to the facility as a whole.Visitors range from Japanese shoppers, to tourists from abroad, to workers from nearby offices. The experience, moreover, had to be able to provide relaxation and enjoyment to people of all ages.GINZA SIX’s rooftop garden is made up of a variety of different Japanese in a European layout with a central lawn and water feature. This east meets west theme was the inspiration for the installations spatial planning which combined the placement of a western orchestra and Japanese garden features such as stepping stones.The six box-shaped monuments are not only garden objects, but also instruments. Made of metal like a brass instrument, it has a cool feel that makes you want to touch it even on a hot summer night in Tokyo.The orchestra featured six monuments placed throughout the garden. Each monument would emit a series of unique sound and tones, as well as trigger a reaction from the LED lights set in front of them, when tapped that could be combined to create numerous different light and sound combinations.The sound was also created based on the materials found in the garden, such as water, plants, wind, and metal.Visitors were the conductors and could create their own unique compositions which could be enjoyed by all the visitors to the garden. The interactive experience shone on a light on a beautiful rooftop garden oasis hidden among Tokyo’s many skyscrapers.