ESR YOKOHAMA SACHIURA DC3 designed by TAKATO TAMAGAMI ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Ltd.

Merci x Sky Design Awards 2026

Jul 7

R:Lounge / Facade

Logistics architecture seldom aspires to poetry. However, for ESR Co., Ltd., a developer guided by a philosophy of human-centric design that transcends the industry's conventional focus on pure function, even a distribution warehouse can embody comfort, character, and subtle delight.

This project represents Phase 3 of an ambitious transformation: the redevelopment of the former Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factory site in Yokohama, a 330,000-square-meter expanse being thoughtfully reimagined in stages. After designing the facades and shared interiors of Phases 1 and 2, we returned to imbue DC3 (Distribution Center 3) with its own distinct identity, all while maintaining a dialogue with its neighboring predecessor.

This conversation begins with the façade. Like DC1, completed in 2022, DC3's exterior is wrapped in ribbon-like forms, gestures that evoke wind and water, subtly referencing the site's maritime setting. While DC1's ribbons flow with gentle, undulating grace, DC3 presents sharper accents, with crisper folds and more defined edges. The result is not mere repetition, but rhyme: two buildings sharing a language, each with its own unique inflection. Viewed together, DC1 and DC3 resemble a pair of guardian figures at a temple gate, the A and Un of Japanese tradition, one open-mouthed, one closed, together offering a warm, unified welcome.

The building’s true surprise awaits at its summit. Nestled in the northeast corner of the top floor, the break lounge feels as though a portion of the industrial mass above has been lifted away and replaced with glass, faceted, transparent, and strikingly unexpected amid a landscape of right angles and hard edges. Upon entering, the transformation is immediate: Tokyo Bay unfolds in every direction, and with the ground below out of sight, the space conveys a pleasant sensation of floating. It feels less like a warehouse lounge and more like the observation deck of an ocean liner. Custom counters and benches curve and ripple as if water captured in motion, transforming a moment of rest into an experience more akin to communion with the sea.