Project Name: MUJI Daikanyama

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Design Team: SANAA (Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa)

Design Team Members: Junko Tanase, Mano Yagi, Miku Naganuma, Zhang Jiaqi

Design Collaboration: Ryohin Keikaku

Design Supervision Collaboration: HiP (Junji Minamino, Yuki Watanabe)

Floor Area: 498.24 m²

Apparel Section: 268.76 m²

Household Goods Section: 229.48 m²

Completion Date: October 2024

Lighting Design: Quilt Planning (Shozo Toyohisa, Harunobu Izumo)

Construction: Nisso Kogei (Hironori Iwasaki)

Furniture: Sankyo Tateyama (Masaki Kumode, Noriki Kakinuma, Keiko Yamakawa)

HVAC: Kando (Makoto Furuya)

Plumbing: Kando (Takehiko Takada)

Electrical: Power Source (Ken Ide)

Feature：

Project - In the heart of Tokyo's trendy Daikanyama district, SANAA architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa have transformed MUJI's flagship store into a revolutionary retail space where products themselves become the architecture. The project, completed in October 2024, represents a radical rethinking of retail design, where merchandise transcends its commercial role to become an integral part of the interior design.

The flagship store is split into two distinct spaces: an apparel section facing the street and a household goods area set slightly back. The most striking feature of the apparel space is an innovative ceiling grid system of suspended rings, from which clothing hangs as if floating in mid-air. This ethereal display method allows garments to be viewed from multiple angles, creating an almost theatrical experience where clothes become kinetic sculptures in space.

In the household goods section, SANAA has developed a compelling spatial narrative by turning three walls into floor-to-ceiling shelving units, with only the street-facing facade remaining transparent. This arrangement transforms the displayed products into architectural elements that define the space itself. The central area becomes a carefully curated stage where selected items are presented for closer inspection, encouraging a more intimate interaction between customers and products.

Both spaces feature generous glazing that dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, creating a dynamic visual relationship with the street. This transparency allows passersby to observe not just the products, but also the choreography of shoppers moving through the space, turning the retail experience into a kind of public performance.

The project's genius lies in its ability to elevate MUJI's philosophy of simplified, quality living through architectural expression. With ceiling heights of 4,275mm in the apparel section and 3,925mm in the household goods area, SANAA has created volumes that feel both monumental and intimate, demonstrating how thoughtful spatial design can transform everyday shopping into an extraordinary experience.

Design Team - Founded in 1995 by Pritzker Prize laureates Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates) has established itself as one of architecture's most influential practices, renowned for its innovative approach to transparency, materiality, and spatial composition. Based in Tokyo, the firm has consistently pushed the boundaries of contemporary architecture through their distinctive minimalist aesthetic and groundbreaking structural solutions.

Their portfolio exemplifies a masterful manipulation of light, form, and space, evident in landmark projects such as the ethereal Rolex Learning Center at EPFL Lausanne, the crystalline Glass Pavilion at Toledo Museum of Art, and the sculptural New Museum in New York. The practice's work is characterized by diaphanous facades, fluid spatial arrangements, and an extraordinary attention to the relationship between interior and exterior spaces.

SANAA's architectural language, while deeply rooted in modernist principles, transcends conventional boundaries through its innovative use of transparent materials and seemingly weightless structures. Their designs often feature ultra-thin structural elements, seamless glass expanses, and meticulously crafted details that challenge traditional architectural hierarchies. The firm continues to influence global architectural discourse through their rigorous exploration of space, light, and human experience, maintaining their position at the forefront of contemporary architectural practice.