Photo of the completed "Park City Suginami"

Construction of the base-isolated superhigh-rise condominium, "Park City Suginami," which was designed and constructed by Takenaka Corporation (Head Office: Osaka; President: Toichi Takenaka) was completed on October 31. This building is the tallest base-isolated building in Japan, the second highest in the world, and the tallest base-isolated condominium in the world. This building of units that will be offered for sale comprises four wings, including a superhigh-rise condominium (204 units) with 28 floors above ground and a two-story penthouse on top that reaches 93.1 meters at the highest point, and three low-rise wings ranging from three to five stories. There are a total of 243 units, owned by Japan Energy Corporation and Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
There is an increase in the tendency toward base-isolated condominiums because they give people the feeling of having made a safe purchase.

The base isolation system and its effects

The base isolation system in this building uses "HSR (High Strength Rubber) Bearings" (patent pending) that were jointly developed by Takenaka and Bridgestone Corporation which resist the "pull-out force" that works on the columns of a building during an earthquake. These HSR bearings are manufactured by adding carbon to the rubber, which increases the compressive strength and the tensile strength of the bearings.
With "Park City Suginami," a base isolation layer has been fitted between the first floor and the foundation. Five types of HSR Bearings with a diameter between 110 - 150cm have been installed at 16 locations around the building where pull-out force occurs, and natural rubber bearings have been installed at 14 locations in the center of the building, making a total of 30 rubber bearings being used throughout. Furthermore, in order to quickly dampen any shaking, "U-type Lead Dampers" (manufactured by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation) have been installed at 99 locations.
By using this base isolation system in a superhigh-rise building, little damage to the building requiring repair work is expected to occur during an earthquake, and personal assets and other equipment are not expected to be damaged or to be knocked over. Also, because any panic during shaking caused by an earthquake can be prevented, this superhigh-rise condominium offers a high level of safety and security against earthquakes.