TOKYO (Nov. 21, 2005) – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., announced today it has chosen a Japanese team to design and construct its global and domestic headquarters building in Minato-Mirai 21, Yokohama City. Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi and Takenaka Corporation will be responsible for the design of the state-of-the-art building, while Shimizu Corporation will be responsible for its construction.
The Japanese applicants were chosen following a rigorous six-month screening process that began in late May of numerous design and construction applications submitted from around the world.
“We are very excited to be working with Taniguchi, Takenaka and Shimizu on this important project,” said Akira Kaetsu, Nissan vice president and head of the new headquarters project. “The Japanese team best met Nissan’s criteria for a flexible and environmentally-friendly design that balances function with cost.”
The new headquarters will be designed to meet high environmental standards with a CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency) level of 4.0 or above.
Kaetsu added that the team was also chosen for its ability to collaborate closely with Nissan beyond construction of the building.
In June 2004, Nissan announced it would relocate most of its head office functions and personnel in Ginza, downtown Tokyo, to a new headquarters in Yokohama City by 2010. At least 2,000 of the 3,000 employees based in Ginza will transfer to the new 78,500 square-meter facility when it is completed.
Locating its headquarters in Yokohama City will allow Nissan closer collaboration with the Nissan Technical Center, the Yokohama and Oppama plants, as well as key suppliers and other operational partners in the region. A combination of convenient public transportation and access to major expressways also makes the Minato-Mirai area attractive for Nissan and its employees.
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