Harajuku Quest by oma to open on september 11th, 2025 in tokyo
OMA completes Harajuku Quest, a commercial complex in the heart of Tokyo set to open on September 11th, 2025, when the first stores welcome visitors, followed by a phased rollout from November onwards (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Designed within NTT Urban Development Corporation’s wider strategy for Harajuku, the 4,300-square-meter project bridges the two distinct contexts of the grand, tree-lined Omotesando Avenue and the dense, intimate Oku-Harajuku district.
The redevelopment, which began construction in October 2022, shapes its volume differently in each side. Toward Omotesando, the volume is pinched and pulled within its zoning envelope, resulting in a monolithic, transparent facade that recedes at both ground and roof level. The setback at the street creates a funneling passage into Oku-Harajuku, while the upper recess brings daylight deep into the block. On the opposite side, the mass steps and fans out into terraces facing Harajuku, offering open-air platforms where programs spill outward.
images by Forward, unless stated otherwise
reinterpreting Harajuku’s Legacy Through Hybrid Hub
Since its original debut in 1988, the former Harajuku Quest has been closely tied to the evolution of the area, adapting to the shifting currents of fashion, youth culture, and urban change. The reconstruction by the team at OMA, led by Shohei Shigematsu, seeks to update the complex, reinterpreting that legacy for the present, proposing a hybrid form that mediates between globalized retail architecture and the human-scaled fabric of backstreets known for independent shops and creative subcultures. The building acts as a gateway, drawing flows of people between Omotesando’s flagship-lined boulevard and the winding alleys of Oku-Harajuku for the first time.
A second-level public plaza centers the design, conceived as a new civic datum within the district. This elevated space expands the conventional retail experience into a stage for cultural programs and gatherings, weaving local life into the site and blurring the threshold between commerce and community. Along with alleys, squares, and casual meeting spots, the project builds on NTT’s With Harajuku (2020) by extending the pedestrian network and strengthening Harajuku’s identity as a meeting and exchange point.
OMA completes Harajuku Quest
a monolithic, transparent facade that recedes at both ground and roof level
former Harajuku Quest has been closely tied to the evolution of the area | construction images by Ko Tsuchiya
the reconstruction by the team at OMA, led by Shohei Shigematsu, seeks to update the complex
the building acts as a gateway
drawing flows of people between Omotesando and Oku-Harajuku for the first time
project info:
name: Harajuku Quest
partner: Shohei Shigematsu | @shohei_shigematsu
location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
gross floor area: 4,300 square meters
client: NTT Urban Development Corporation
associates: Takeshi Mitsuda, Fernan Bilik, Tetsuo Kobayashi, Kohei Sugishita, Yuzaburo Tanaka, Timothy Tse, Chiao Yang
executive architect: NTT Facilities
structure: NTT Facilities
MEP: NTT Facilities
landscape architect: Landscape Plus
lighting design: Lighting Planners Associates
graphics, signage, wayfinding: Daikoku Design Institute, Bikohsha
general contractor: Kumagai Gumi
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