Namba Parks
Bringing nature to urban density
Tasked with creating a gateway to redefine Osaka's identity, we responded with a natural intervention in the City's dense and harsh urban condition. Namba Parks creates a new natural experience for Osaka that celebrates the interaction of people, culture, and recreation. The project exemplifies smart, sustainable, transit-oriented development, where economic benefits and green, environmentally-friendly design emerge as a single objective.
At a Glance
Project Type
Location
Size
Client
Executive Architect
Services
Awards
Award for Excellence: Asia Pacific, Urban Land Institute
Merit Certificate, Innovative Design & Development, International Council of Shopping Centers
SADI Award for New Open-Air Center, Retail Traffic Magazine
SADI Grand Award, Retail Traffic Magazine
21,000,000 Visitors in First Year
Project Location
Located in Osaka's dense Business District, the project sits on what was formerly the site of a dormant baseball stadium. Within this formidable, grey environment, JERDE envisioned Namba Parks as a canyon cutting through an urban park - an awe-inspiring respite for the people of Osaka.
The signature park features trees, miniature ponds, shrubbery, and planting beds—all irrigated by recycled water filtered from the graywater of the restaurants within the complex.
People use the park as an amenity. They use it as their own back yard in a highly urban environment.”
Though the project's interior was originally conceived by the client as a simple concrete passageway to connect the southern parcel of the site to the crowded, people-intensive northern parcel, we proposed a natural 'canyon' instead.
