Nishi-Shinjuku
Nishi-shinjuku
Station is located in
Shinjuku Ward. As the name implies
("nishi" in Japanese means
"west"), the station lies
in West Shinjuku on the Tokyo Metro
Marunouchi Line just west of Shinjuku
Station. Nishi-shinjuku Station
is connected to Shinjuku Station
by an underground passageway.
Nishi-shinjuku
is known as Tokyo's "skyscraper
district" as the whole area
is dominated by skyscrapers, including
some of Tokyo's leading hotels.
Most of the soaring buildings in
this business hub have shops on
their ground floors, and restaurants
with good views and free observation
rooms on the uppermost floors.
The
most prominent and tallest building
of the area is the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Building.
Tokyo
Metropolitan Government Building
Designed
by the architect Tange Kenzo, the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
complex is home to the offices of
Tokyo's local government. The 400,000-square-metre
complex includes twin 48-storey
towers, an adjacent tower block,
the Metropolitan Assembly Hall,
and a sweeping, statue-lined and
colonnaded plaza.
The
243 meter tall twin towers and the
adjacent building have government
offices. The towers are known for
their extraordinary design, said
to have been inspired by Gothic
churches, and their observation
rooms. The observation rooms are
located on the 45 th floors of the
towers. These identical rooms give
panoramic views of the city. The
smaller building takes the form
of a cluster of buildings, and is
connected to the main building (the
towers) by means of a multi-story
portico which appears throughout
the complex as its unifying feature.
The
Metropolitan Assembly Hall is where
the city's councilors meet. This
circular metal-clad structure looms
over the plaza from above the portico.
The Assembly Hall is separated from
the main buildings by a semi-circular
plaza. Surrounding the plaza is
a portico lined with sculptures.
The
size and the facade of the complex
are overwhelming, which is what
attracts visitors in large numbers.
Tokyo
Opera City
The
Tokyo Opera City is another prominent
and well known skyscraper of Nishi-shinjuku.
This 54-story building is a cultural
complex that includes an art museum,
symphony hall, a performing arts
theater, a shopping center, and
outdoor gardens. Both the symphony
hall, which can accommodate up to
1,632 people, and the theater are
designed so that everyone can enjoy
the same sound no matter where they
are in the halls. The art museum
and gallery periodically change
their exhibitions, and often have
interesting multi-media exhibits.
A variety of restaurants, bars,
and cafes are located on the 53rd
and 54th floors and offer magnificent
views of the city. The rest of the
floors are business offices.
