The new Shibuya Station (subway station) in Tokyo, Japan, designed by Tadao Ando, looks like an underground spaceship, situated 30 meters down. In a recent interview with Wallpaper Ando explains some concepts behind the design.

It is composed of a central void contained inside an egg-shaped shell and aims to reduce the station’s dependency on air conditioning equipments by letting the outside air blow into the underground space, creating a natural ventilation system that is energy saving.

We love that.

The hub station is a connector to 2.5 million commuters who use the underground system and that section sees about 400,00 of them daily.

The idea behind the design was to keep a continuous flow of energy moving smoothly. That translates to a positive experience for the traveler and very good Feng Shui. I’m seriously impressed.

Shibuya Station under construction. It feels like the engine room on a spaceship.

More from the designer:

Since I consider architecture as something that should gently enclose people, providing safety and peace of mind, I have always tried to create spaces that satisfy people in a spiritual way. This attitude towards architecture has been consistent since I started my own career as an architect.

Beautiful.