![](http://assets.ykkap.co.jp/uploads/tmg_block_page/cover_image/5127/main.jpg)
Contribute to the Creation of Urban Spaces Around the World through Global Collaboration: CW Business Initiatives
YKK AP manufactures window sashes and curtain walls for commercial buildings (hereafter referred to as CW), which are used in many symbolic skyscrapers around the world. YKK products have been adopted for buildings which need advanced technology and design features, such as the TOKYO SKYTREE Ⓡ and the Tenjin Business Center, which became a new landmark in the Tenjin area in Fukuoka Prefecture, in Japan. Not limited to Japan, they have also been adopted for buildings in various locales around the world, such as the 51-story CapitaSpring building complex located in the central office district in Singapore, which is the second-highest building in the country and boasts a height of 280 meters, and the Taipei Nanshan Plaza in central Taipei, which boasts a height of 272 meters.
In this issue, we will introduce the history of YKK AP’s foray into the CW business, as well as our initiatives for cooperation with overseas companies, which are aimed at further business growth.
![](http://assets.ykkap.co.jp/uploads/tmg_block_page_image/file/17731/ENimg00-1.jpg)
Entering into the custom and tailor-made CW Business and taking on global challenges
What Curtain Walls (CWs) Are
CWs are curtain-like exterior walls, used in high-rise buildings, which do not directly bear the building’s weight. In general, as a high-rise building gets taller, its overall weight increases and its columns become larger, which causes the floor area to get smaller. To avoid this issue, CWs are often made of materials such as aluminum and glass, which weigh less than concrete walls and can reduce the weight of columns and other structural elements. This allows for more interior space, as well as more creativity when it comes to spatial design.
Entering the High-Rise Building CW Business
Starting in the late 1960s, high-rise and skyscraper buildings started to be built in Japan and overseas.
The subject of YKK AP's first attempt at exterior walls for a high-rise building in Japan was the Hankyu Grand Building, which was completed in 1977. At the time, while we had plenty of experience with ready-made sashes for multi-family residential buildings, we had no experience with CWs for high-rise buildings, where the focus is on custom and tailor-made products for each property. We decided to take on the challenge of a field in which we had no prior experience.
We spoke to Mr. Kazuhiro Kitano, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Global Curtain Wall Business, and asked him how YKK AP—which had been unknown as a CW manufacturer in Japan due to its lack of installation experience—came to have its products adopted for high-rise buildings around the world, and what challenges the company is planning to take on in the future by leveraging the advantages of global expansion.
Taking on the challenge of high-rise buildings overseas
(Kitano) At the time YKK AP entered this business, opportunities for entry were hard to come by in the domestic construction industry, which demanded achievements and previous examples of installations. Therefore, Singapore became the first stage for us to gain experience and build our track record. In 1976, YKK Industries (Singapore) Pte Ltd. (now YKK AP SINGAPORE PTE LTD.), our first overseas operating company, was established to manufacture and sell aluminum architectural products (primarily sashes for commercial buildings). While building up our track record by working on iconic buildings in Singapore, we also took on the challenge of designing and installing CWs for high-rise buildings overseas in the 1990s, including CWs for the tallest buildings at the time in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and steadily built up a history of achievements.
These achievements enabled us to receive orders for properties in Japan as well. Today, as a business that handles custom and tailor-made CWs, we manufacture products at four locations in Japan, the U.S., China, and Thailand, and sell them at our business locations across six countries and regions. The performance requirements for CWs are not uniform around the world. For example, different countries and regions require different technologies and performance for CWs to handle different conditions, such as needing strength in earthquake and hurricane-prone areas, or needing thermal insulation performance in cold climates. YKK AP supplies CWs which are suited to the local climate and culture, as well as the commercial distribution in each region.
![](http://assets.ykkap.co.jp/uploads/tmg_block_page_image/file/17733/ENimg01-1.jpg)
Turning challenges at each global location into advantages
(Kitano) The strengths of YKK AP’s CW Business, based on our accumulation of experience and achievements in various parts of the world, include the ability to make proposals for custom and tailor-made orders, the ability to design products to customer requirements, the technology capability to actually make them, quality backed by our manufacturing capabilities, a flexible production system with four manufacturing bases around the world, the ability to manage processes to complete projects on time, and a track record of working on large properties to prove our accomplishments. In addition, because the CW Business procures items from all over the world, YKK AP, which has locations in various regions, not only has advanced capabilities when it comes to procurement and handling supply, but also has the advantage of being able to flexibly respond to risk perspectives such as country risk and business continuity plans/business continuity management (BCP/BCM).
Advantages of the YKK AP CW Business
- The ability to propose, design, and construct highly complex facades
- The technology capability to handle highly difficult properties, and to solve problems related to building facades according to the situation
- Excellent product quality, which has been acknowledged by users for a long time
- A flexible production system with manufacturing bases around the world
- The ability to manage processes to complete projects on time
Taking on greater challenges by leveraging the advantages of global expansion
In April 2023, the Global Curtain Wall Business Division was newly established to create further synergies by leveraging this strength through collaboration among domestic and overseas operating companies.
(Kitano) Large properties such as skyscrapers are difficult projects to manage stably because of the long construction period and the large peaks and valleys in sales. Therefore, the establishment of the division began with the goal of developing a global business model that would generate profits by integrating manufacturing, sales, and engineering —YKKAP's strengths—into a business that would enable stable management, including overseas operating companies, throughout the world.
The newly established Division has set forth a vision of "becoming the world's No. 1 CW supplier by making the aspirations of our stakeholders a reality through manufacturing, sales, and technology, based on our mission to contribute to the creation of urban spaces through architectural projects around the world." To realize this vision, we will laterally deploy our manufacturing, sales, and technological expertise around the world, promote the establishment of a global supply chain system and infrastructure, and ensure stable management.
A shortage of designers is another issue in this industry, which is shared the world over. CW designs, which are custom and tailor-made for each property, make performance and design very difficult because the facades required by the owner and designer are created from scratch, and there are very few people capable of doing these sorts of advanced designs. Therefore, we are also considering global collaboration to deal with this shortage, and the flexible sharing of design resources among operating companies.
There is also the problem of a lack of manpower. Japan is greatly affected by the declining birthrate and aging population, but even overseas, where there is a large working population, people are moving rapidly, so it is important to improve corporate branding and engagement in order to secure human resources. We will try to address these issues globally, as well.
In addition, in December 2023, the CW manufacturer YHS International Ltd.(YHSI) and its related manufacturing company, Siam Metal Co., Ltd.(SM) were added to the YKK family. Together with Thailand's largest company in the areas of CW design, manufacturing, sales, and installation, we will build a stable supply system on a global scale, pursue high quality, and further expand our CW business in the Asian region.
![](http://assets.ykkap.co.jp/uploads/tmg_block_page_image/file/17734/img02-1.jpg)
Hosting the Global Curtain Wall Summit 2023
On December 1, 2023, we hosted the Global Curtain Wall Summit 2023 at the YKK 50 Building in Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture. We met 65 managers and local employees from ten operating companies which are involved with the CW Business across nine countries and regions, to confirm that YKK AP will respond to the challenges and social needs of each country and realize our Purpose—“We Build a Better Society through Architectural Products”—in cooperation with the global community. We shared market trends at each location, as well as the strengths and challenges of each company, and discussions were held on common issues such as process management methods, global supply chain management, and digital utilization.
(Kitano) The summit was the first time for operating companies from around the world who are involved with CWs to come together, and it provided an opportunity for global collaboration to address challenges for achieving our mission that cannot be solved independently. After the summit, information exchanges among operating companies and site visits have become more active, and we look forward to the synergy effects in the future. It was an excellent opportunity, and we hope to continue the summit in the future.
Currently, the U.S. has products and business models for the U.S., while Asia has products and business models for Asia. However, by sharing and compensating for strengths and weaknesses among operating companies, and by creating and standardizing a platform for manufacturing, products, and design, we will take on the challenge of global architectural projects.
![](http://assets.ykkap.co.jp/uploads/tmg_block_page_image/file/17735/img02-2.jpg)
Responding to requests for design and performance to enhance architectural value
(Kitano) Owners build buildings, designers design them, and we are the subcontractor for their facades. Our job is to implement the dreams and aspirations of the owners and designers. We want to be a facade subcontractor that can respond to and fulfill demands for increasingly sophisticated design and performance. In addition, the criteria for general contractors and designers to select a facade subcontractor is whether or not they have a proven track record. YKK AP, a latecomer to custom and tailor-made CWs, went out into the world without a history of accomplishments, and at that time, those who came before us had to work extremely hard. We hope to continue to be the company of choice by building on our advantages when it comes to manufacturing, sales, and engineering, which we have built up through our experience and achievements based on that hard work.
Contributing to the creation of urban spaces through global architectural projects
(Kitano) We do not necessarily want to handle the tallest buildings in the world. We want to work on the facades of commercial buildings that leave an impression on cities and contribute to them.
We believe that buildings which become regional landmarks can serve as sources of pride for locals, and can also revitalize communities and their residents. Although only those who were involved in a given project will know whether YKK AP handled a building or not, having buildings around the world where we can say, "Our company did the CW for that building," is something we can be proud of as a CW manufacturer. Our dream is to be involved in building architecture around the world that will go down in history, be loved by people, and bring color to urban spaces.
YKK AP will continue to contribute to the creation of beautiful and functional urban spaces through CWs for high-rise buildings and facade design for office buildings and condominiums. At the same time, we will contribute to the enhancement of architectural value by providing high-quality products that address the social issues and market needs specific to each region through operational deployment based on business models tailored to each country and region around the world.
![](http://assets.ykkap.co.jp/uploads/tmg_block_page_image/file/17736/profile01.jpg)
Kazuhiro Kitano
Joined the company in 1990. After handling sales for leading general contractors in Japan and working at DALIAN YKK AP CO., LTD., YKK AP (SUZHOU) CO., LTD., and YKK AP FAÇADE HONG KONG LIMITED, he has been the General Manager for the High Rise Building Division since 2013. Has been responsible for his current position, working to improve the CW Business domestically and overseas, since 2023.
Share this article
- SNS Link X X Share
- SNS Link Facebook Facebook Share
- SNS Link LinkedIn LinkedIn Share
- SNS Link LINE LINE Share
- Copy Link Copy Link Copy Link Copied Link
Related stories
-
The installation training network began as a challenge to solve the shortage of sash and curtain wall installation technicians. Taking on challenges in collaboration with partners, and going from Japan to overseas
- Technology
- Installation
- Solving Social Issues
- Story of Project
-
Toward sustainable logistics with Tokyo Metropolitan Area DC, a logistics site that aims to solve the 2024 problem
- Logistics
- Sustainability
- Solving Social Issues
- Story of Project
-
Technology development to contribute to society and YKK AP's employees ability to make it happen
- R&D
- Technology
- Management
- Dialogues