The Mori Way – Discussion with Hiro Mori in Tokyo

“Hope in the sky, Green on the Ground, and Joy under the Ground” – Mori Building Company motto.

The motto of the Mori Building Company, based in Tokyo, Japan, is true to form in its developments, in which it strives to build the “Vertical Garden City.” I was fortunate to get to spend half a day with Mr. Mori, who has now transferred his immense knowledge of the vertical cities he built in Japan into his development of the World Financial Center in the Pudong District of Shanghai, China. It is no doubt that Mori is one of the pre-eminent vertical city builders in the world. Our discussion with him in this small group from the Urban Land Institute about the Roppongi Hills project was the highlight of a brief Asian development tour.

I have not known too many people who pay attention to detail even on small projects, let alone the way Mori pays attention on these massive developments, which really are cities in themselves. I was in awe of the models that are exact replicas of Shanghai, Tokyo, and New York City. I could pick out small buildings, the boathouse on the water in Central Park, and the Essex Hotel – even its signage. It was clear as he placed scaled models of projects around the room that Mori was in his design mode. He presented the details of projects they had already developed and showed us how they would fit into the skyline landscape in New York or Tokyo. It’s incredible the amount of time, energy, and thought that went into the placement and the design of each of their buildings. The careful approach was not just for the specific building, but rather how a building fit into the city as a whole. For any urban planning and architectural admirer, a model tour with Hiro Mori is a must, and it is one of the more memorable meetings and presentations I have ever been in.