This a new retail building on Omotesando street in Tokyo designed by Dutch architects MVRDV. GYRE, also known as ‘The Swirl’, is generated from five identical rectangular floor plates that are rotated on a vertical axis and then trimmed to fit the site on Omotesando street.

Besides the big names and ground floor tenants, Chanel and Bulgari, the building houses the first Asian branch of the MoMA Design Store and a large shop for Martin Margiela. Higher up there are smaller shops like a hair dress salon, an exclusive watch shop etc. The top levels contain a series of different restaurants. The interiors of the shops are designed by the different tenants.

From the GYRE website: ‘A building in the shape of a gyre is a body in motion, with a magnetism that exudes energy. Our hope is to become an incubator of a new way of shopping, thoughtfully, in a way that becomes a force for good. GYRE connects with your and connects you to the world.’

A subdued external palette of dark and crumpled ceramic tiles and artificial wood adds a trademark Dutch astringency to the usual luxury formula of gloss and polish.

This building opened November 1st 2007.

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