I f Tokyo had a "typical" form of architecture -- like the Gulf Coast Shotgun Shack, or the Chicago Bungalow -- it would be the narrow apartment building with exposed stairwell. This is an example of that architecture, with each floor's emergency exit clearly visible to pedestrians, and easily accessible to firefighters. Tokyo is a city that takes fire safety seriously, and seems to have more fire extinguishers per square meter than anywhere else on earth. Those buildings that don't have exterior stairwells have the interior locations marked on the outside of the building with red triangles. While this design is more common, this implementation is not. The building's facade is a nice stately grey with chrome accents. It fits nicely with the upscale neighborhood, which is important because this isn't a residential building; it's a commercial building on one of the most expensive strips of land in Tokyo. The businesses in the building have access to Lilliputian balconies which, even by Tokyo standards, can only serve a couple of people at a time. It's a great opportunity for a restaurant to create a super-exclusive super-intimate space with one of the city's best views.
The space frame at the top of the building is intended to support advertising billboards.
