SHIBUYAPARCO – The Next Generation Commercial Facility to open in Tokyo this November

SHIBUYAPARCO first opened in 1973 to contribute to business incubation, urban revitalization, and trends communication. it sought to both stimulate the city of Shibuya and be stimulated by it, furthering its overall development.

November 2019 will see the 50th anniversary of the 1969 founding of IKEBUKUROPARCO. The reborn SHIBUYAPARCO, on the precipice of that turning point, is continuing to develop, with its sights set on the next 50 years.

Next-Generation Commercial Facility

The aim of SHIBUYAPARCO is not merely to fulfil needs, but rather to create them, and to create new value propositions for visitors.

Location: 15-1, Utagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Opening date: late November 2019
Number of stores: around 180 shops

SHIBUYAPARCO aims to be more than an ordinary commercial facility, by working together with vendors such as designers and creators, in order to take on new challenges and create new fun and stimulating experiences and communicate new trends on a global scale.

It is composed of five building blocks: fashion, art & culture, entertainment, food, and technology.

1) Fashion

PARCO provides retailers with a finished interior, as well as shared checkouts and fitting rooms. The 3rd-floor shop naming, logos, and visual art direction are done in collaboration with YAR, a creative team lead by YOSHIROTTEN, who is renowned for his broad range of experience as an art director.

On the 4th floor, PARCO facilitates talented and ambitious designers active in Tokyo, by allowing them to run pop up shops, as part of a contract with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Working together with retailers, PARCO puts on promotional shows and installations in an effort to further spur sales for those brands.

2) Art & Culture

9 stores will be opening that will function as galleries, presenting art & culture in various forms:

• Gallery X (1F)
• OIL by Bijutsu-techo (2F)
• Hobonichi Caluchan (4F)
• Parco Museum Tokyo (4F)
• Nintendo Tokyo (6F)
• Pokemon Center SHIBUYA (6F)
• Touken Ranbu Yorozuyahonpo (6F)
• M.I.U. N°2 (7F)
• HOBO nichiyobi (8F)

3) Entertainment

SHIBUYAPARCO offers high-quality entertainment to visitors, through its diverse line up of entertainment venues.

Parco Theater (8F) – Premium venue with all VIP seating. Shibuya is developing the space as part of a 360-degree theatre business, with year-round, 100% in house productions.

CINE QUINTO (8F) – a mini-theatre for movie lovers.

QUATTRO LABO (B1) – A music café/bar aiming to become the epitome of the analogue audio revival with its high-end audio equipment and a massive collection of over 3,000 records. The CLUB QUATTRO and the neighbouring GALLERY X will also periodically hold satellite exhibitions and events in an effort to achieve synergies between their projects.

4) Food

SHIBUYAPARCO has been curated in line with the concept of “a place to gather, form a community, and enjoy time and space.”

• CHAOS KITCHEN (B1) – the main restaurant floor
• COMINGSOON (1F) – a culinary gallery promoting food culture, and an occasional pop-up wine bar in a flower shop, in addition to retail annex cafés, sake, and beer stands.
• Chompoo (4F) – a Thai restaurant, that uses a rich selection of herbs sure to delight the body as well as the palate.
• Japanese food (7F) – The 7th floor will feature sushi train, tempura, yakiniku (barbecue), ramen and other Japanese and vegan speciality restaurants.

5) Technology

SHIBUYAPARCO presents new ways of communicating and new paradigms in shopping for consumers in the digital age.

• CUBE (provisional name) – a space arranged for consumers can engage in stress-free shopping by sending data directly to their portable device using large signage in common areas, or signage within specific stores, and so allowing them to buy goods not available in stores at any time online.
• VR technology – spatial presentations that use computer-generated 3D graphic creative works delivered via smartphone or AR-ready glasses, giving visitors the sense that the works really exist in that space.
• Tyffonium café – a café providing sweets using AR (augmented reality) technology to create new sensations.
• BOOSTER STUDIO by CAMPFIRE – first of its kind in Japan, crowdfunding, proof-of-concept AI showroom.

Additionally, the building is designed with 3D paths, connecting to Spain-zaka have entrances to stores on each level, creating a space where visitors can have a shopping experience akin to strolling around Shibuya.

Visit here for more information.