Landmark at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo gives thanks ahead of demolition
The landmark building in front of the west exit of Shinagawa Station in Tokyo is giving a big thank you to passersby before its demolition, set to begin in November.
Through Oct. 29, the facade of the Shinagawa Goos complex displays the Japanese word for thank you and a giant heart shape made from pink paper on its windows.
The 30-story building opened in 1971 as the Hotel Pacific Tokyo and tourists using Haneda Airport were among the visitors who usually stayed there. One of the characteristics of the building is that the walls are inlaid with 3.6 million white Arita ware porcelain tiles. In April 2011, the building was renovated into the Shinagawa Goos, which houses a business hotel and restaurants.
After half a century since its construction, the building has become decrepit. At the end of March this year, the complex closed and will be demolished to make way for the redevelopment of the area around Shinagawa Station.
The display on the facade was planned by Keikyu Corp., which manages the building, to show gratitude to the people in the area. About 20 people worked together Friday to paste the 1.6-meter by 2-meter pieces of pink paper on the windows.
After the demolition of the building, Keikyu and Toyota Motor Corp. plan to build a facility that will house a large-scale international conference center and hotel on the 25,000-square-meter site by 2027.