Explosive growth in exports led by cars and consumer electronics left the government flush with funds to spend, and the preferred venue for spending was urban construction projects. (images via: Saigon Ocean and University of Washington) The process which led to this curious urban hybrid dates back almost a decade earlier, to 1983. The Osaka, Japan landmark sometimes called “The Beehive” looks like some future extrapolation of supersaturated city life but in actuality the building/highway combo was opened nearly 20 years ago in February of 1992. It’s an office building, it’s a highway ramp, it’s… well, the Gate Tower Building is a little bit of both. Access is convenient from either Fukushima Station or Nishi-Umeda Station.What happens when an irresistible force (the Hanshin Expressway) meets an immovable object (stubborn landowners)? You get the Gate Tower Building in Osaka, Japan, a hybrid highway-cum-skyscraper that revamps the exit ramp and redefines telecommuting with a dash of “Lost in Translation.”
The highway and the building never come into direct contact, and there are shutters to prevent the spread of fire in either direction if one were to occur. TKP Gate Tower Building was the first in Japan to take advantage of this.
Under this new system, it became possible to construct a building with a highway running through it. In 1989, due to partial revisions in laws pertaining to roads, urban planning, redevelopment, and building standards, a new system was established that allowed for highways and buildings to occupy the same space. From 1893, this building was the site of a wood and charcoal manufacturing company and was renovated in 1983 as the offices deteriorated. A highway runs through a portion of the building, which garnered it the nickname Beehive, in part due to the appearance and in part due to the busy activity of cars that pass through. TKP Gate Tower Building is a 16-story office building located in Osaka's Fukushima Ward.
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