Umeda Sky Building: A Floating Garden Rising Above the Metropolis

Umeda Sky Building/Kuchu Teien Observatory

(Kita Ward, Osaka)

【Kuchu Teien（空中庭園）】 literally means “floating garden” in Japanese, referring to a garden set high above the ground. Since ancient times, human beings have built structures that reach ever higher, seeking to rise toward the heavens. Yet a floating garden is not simply a place that is high above the ground. It is a place where people can experience a different sense of space high above the ground.

The ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon was said to have had the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. In Udaipur, India, enormous trees grow in rooftop gardens atop palaces, high above the ground. In Samarra, Iraq, a tower rises toward the heavens in a great spiral, offering beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. And at the ancient Maya city of Tikal, the vast expanse above the dense jungle canopy unfolds before you from the top of a pyramid.

At first glance, these structures may seem completely different. Yet the architect Hiroshi Hara saw something they had in common. He described such architecture as “devices for walking in the sky.” By climbing to a higher place, looking at the world from a perspective different from that of the ground, and drawing closer to the heavens, people experience something beyond ordinary life. Hara believed that these structures express a desire shared by humanity: the dream of a “floating garden.”

He brought this ancient dream of a floating garden into the heart of modern Osaka. Standing 173 meters tall, the Umeda Sky Building consists of two 40-story towers joined together at the top by a huge floating garden. The buildings are covered in glass, reflecting the changing colors of the sky and clouds and creating the impression that the architecture itself extends seamlessly into the sky.

As you ride the glass-enclosed escalator toward the top, you emerge into a long, dome-shaped structure. Its lines converge toward a distant point, creating a striking sense of perspective. As you move forward, you may feel as though you are being drawn upward into the sky.

At the top is a circular observation deck offering a 360-degree panoramic view of Osaka. Just as people in ancient times climbed pyramids and looked out over the space above the trees, visitors here can look down upon the vast urban landscape below―a modern “concrete jungle” stretching in every direction.

Turn your eyes inward, and you will see another fascinating view. The escalators you have just climbed create overlapping layers of geometric space, producing a striking architectural composition at the center of the building.

Looking at the crowds drawn to this remarkable building from around the world, it seems that the dream of a “floating garden” that Hara believed had existed since ancient times is still embedded in our DNA.

The Umeda Sky Building has also gained international recognition. It was selected by the British publisher Dorling Kindersley as one of its “Top 20 Buildings Around the World,” alongside such historic landmarks as the Parthenon in Athens and the Colosseum in Rome.

Hara is also famous for designing the vast interior space of Kyoto Station. The enormous atrium allows people to move through a dramatic three-dimensional space, creating an impressive gateway to Kyoto, one of Japan's most historic cities.

Please visit the Umeda Sky Building website.