Tokyo 25

Location
Tokyo, Japan

Year
2025

Program
Small, precise and intentional architectural interventions

Team Leaders
Sou Fujimoto (Architect and CEO, Sou Fujimoto Architects)
Yibei Liu (Design Director, Sou Fujimoto Architects)
Mircea Eni (Project Leader, Sou Fujimoto Architects)
Mahesh Pandian (Project Leader, Sou Fujimoto Architects)
Nadir Ouhibi (Project Leader, Sou Fujimoto Architects)

Team
Xavier Cortes (Rhode Island School of Design, USA)
Chua Dalius (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Sripriya Sabnavis (University of New South Wales, Australia)
Alexandra Breuer (RMIT University, Australia)
Vu Hoang Anh Pham (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Yulin Huang (Architectural Association School of Architecture, UK)
Jiatong He (SCI-Arc – Southern California Institute of Architecture, USA)
Betty Zeng (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Binmo Chen (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Alex Freeman (The University of Cambridge, UK)
Martin Kim (The University of Melbourne, Australia)
Alanis Strukelj (Keio University, Japan)
Nawar Dakkak (Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Israel)
Ren Wolfe (Temple University, Japan)
Po-Lun Charis MA (University of Tokyo, Japan)
Mirai Tanabe (University of Melbourne, Australia)

Project
Architecture is Everywhere
Architecture does not always begin with a blank site or a defined need. It can emerge from the spaces between buildings, from the way a stair turns a corner, or how light collects in a narrow alley. Inspired by Sou Fujimoto’s Architecture is Everywhere, we will examine the city closely and work at a small, human scale—using observation and interpretation to uncover opportunities for design.
We will work in Tokyo using the city as both context and catalyst and select one or two urban sites encountered through walking and observation. These may be residual spaces, narrow passages, gaps between buildings, edges, thresholds, or small overlooked conditions in the built environment.
The aim is not to solve large problems, but to notice subtle ones—to read spatial conditions and imagine how they could be reinterpreted through design. Each designer will propose a small architectural intervention that is precise, intentional, and grounded in the specific qualities of the chosen site.
The emphasis is on spatial thinking: how a simple intervention can shift perception, enable use, or create new relationships in the urban fabric.