Namba Parks, Osaka

Namba Parks (なんばパークス) is a recent development in Osaka, Japan. As you can guess from the name, it is located in the Namba district.
It stands where Osaka's baseball stadium used to, and consists of a 30-floor skyscraper, Parks Tower, and 120-tenant shopping mall which includes many restaurants and a cinema.

I have to say I am a big fan of the architectural concept. There is a large rooftop garden, and the whole mall is designed as a canyon. Shops are located within the curved "cliffs" of this canyon.

 

From the inside, the curved-cliff structure gives a nice feel to the mall. It is large complex, but because there is no long straight lines, there is not the uneasy sensation that comes with it.

For more details on the concept, (as well as for some very nice pictures!), please visit the architect's website. (just click on "our work", which leads to a map, then click on Japan and finally on Namba Parks)