Tenjin Business Center

An intricate relief design implemented with
reduced installation work
Watertight performance also ensured through
the use of dry open-joint cladding

Location: Fukuoka

Completion: September 2021

Use: Offices and stores

Floors: 2 below ground, 19 above ground, 2 tower floors

The Tenjin Business Center is the first in a series of redevelopment projects promoted by Fukuoka City, and has become a new landmark in the Tenjin area. YKK AP was responsible for the entire curtain wall, including the relief facade.

The most distinctive feature is the "pixel curtain wall," an outer wall made up of stacked glass panels. In pursuit of a simple design, YKK AP proposed a unitized curtain wall with a facade design formed by undulations in both plan and section, and realized it with dry open-joint cladding that uses a 45°diagonal profile for the upper and lower frames of the vertical face units and frames of the eave units to produce a simple interlocking unit configuration. The use of dry open-joint cladding enables excellent watertightness, despite the complex shape.

For the eaves, which incorporate LED lighting, we proposed a movable window, conducting repeated prototyping, installation verification, operation checks, and improvements to maintain quality at every step, from the installation method to the maintenance method. The first four floors are a vaulted structure, supported by a steel frame suspended from the fifth floor. To confirm safety, verification was also performed on the torsion that would occur in the curtain wall units in the event of a major earthquake causing deformation of the steel frame.

The building uses "unitized curtain walls," in which every section of the exterior curtain walls is a factory completed product with glass and components pre-fitted. This ensures both high quality and easy installation.

Photo: Tomoyuki Kusunose

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