Opportunity Squared

In almost any Tokyo neighbourhood, buildings are torn down and used as parking spaces. For some plots, the land-use is restricted, and so these empty lots are often adorned only with tarmac and a parking meter.

In areas where regulations allow for higher density, such as this project, a parking tower has the possibility to create significant returns on investment on relatively small plots of land, simply by installing a fully automated parking tower. We explained to the client that the building would become their investment portfolio. The almost fanatical desire to own a car, we explained, coupled with the desire to take it into the centre of Tokyo, where it must then be parked, would guarantee double digit returns. A parking tower with a penthouse at the top was a clever way to live in the centre of Tokyo while using other people’s money to pay the mortgage. We also suggested a billboard on top of the roof for further income.

Click below to see PECHAKUCHA presentation for this project: