imported>Epicgenius: Changing short description from "16-story building in Japan notable for a highway going through it" to "Building in Fukushima-ku, Osaka"

2025-05-09T16:37:11Z

Changing short description from "16-story building in Japan notable for a highway going through it" to "Building in Fukushima-ku, Osaka"

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{{Short description|Building in Fukushima-ku, Osaka}}
{{About|the Gate Tower Building in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Japan|the one in Rinku Town|Rinku Gate Tower Building}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Gate Tower Building
| native_name = {{lang|ja|ゲートタワービル}}
| image = Building penetrated by an expressway 001 OSAKA JPN.jpg
| image_alt = Gate Tower Building
| image_upright = 0.8
| caption =
| former_names =
| alternate_names =
| map_type = Japan
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location within Japan
| building_type = Office building
| architectural_style =
| structural_system = Reinforced concrete and partly steel frame
| cost =
| location = 5-4-21 Fukushima, [[Fukushima-ku, Osaka]]
| client = Suezawa Sangyō Co. Ltd.
| owner =
| current_tenants =
| landlord =
| location_country = Japan
| coordinates = {{coord|34|41|53|N|135|29|22|E|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:JP-27}}
| altitude = {{convert|2|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| start_date = 
| completion_date = 1992
| inauguration_date = 
| demolition_date =
| height = {{convert|71.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| diameter = 
| other_dimensions =
| floor_count = 16 above ground, 2 underground, 1 elevator equipment tower floor
| floor_area = {{convert|7956|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
| main_contractor = Sato Kōgyō Co. Ltd.
| architect = Azusa Sekkei, Yamamoto-Nishihara Kenchiku Sekkei Jimushō
| structural_engineer =
| services_engineer =
| civil_engineer =
| other_designers =
| quantity_surveyor =
| awards =
| url = 
| references =
}}
[[File:Gate Tower Building Umeda Exit.jpg|thumb|Umeda exit]]

The {{Nihongo|'''Gate Tower Building'''|ゲートタワービル|gēto tawā biru}} is a 16-floor office building in [[Fukushima-ku, Osaka]], Japan. It is notable for the highway [[offramp]] of the [[Ikeda Route]] that passes through the building.<ref name="au" />

== Overview ==
The building has a double core construction, with a circular cross-section. The Umeda exit of the [[Ikeda Route]] of the [[Hanshin Expressway]] system (when exiting the highway from the direction of Ikeda) passes between the fifth through seventh floors of the building. The highway is effectively the tenant of those floors. The elevator passes through the floors without stopping, with floor 4 being followed by floor 8. The floors through which the highway passes consist of elevators, stairways and machinery. The highway does not make contact with the building.<ref>{{cite magazine |language=German |first1=Martin |last1=Hackl |first2=Marco |last2=Witt |first3=Simon |last3=Bethke |first4=Martina |last4=Beils |url=https://www.prosieben.de/tv/galileo/videos/2016397-verkehrsplanung-durch-dieses-hochhaus-fuehrt-eine-autobahn-clip |title=Verkehrsplanung: Durch dieses Hochhaus führt eine Autobahn |trans-title=Transportation planning: An Expressway passes through this sky scraper |publisher=[[ProSieben]] |magazine=Galileo Magazine |url-access=subscription |issue=397 |date=28 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd_LBofdNWs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/yd_LBofdNWs |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Verkehrsplanung: Durch dieses Hochhaus führt eine Autobahn |trans-title=Transportation planning: An Expressway passes through this sky scraper |work=Galileo Lunch Break |language=de |access-date=2 January 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It passes through as a bridge, held up by supports next to the building. The highway is surrounded by a structure to protect the building from noise and vibration. The roof has a [[helipad]].

== History ==
A wood and charcoal business held the property rights for the plot of land since the early [[Meiji (era)|Meiji period]], but the gradual move to other sources of fuel resulted in the deterioration of those company buildings. In 1983, redevelopment of the area was approved, but building permits were refused because the highway was already being planned.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://japonismo.com/blog/el-gate-tower-building-de-osaka-o-cuando-las-autopistas-atraviesan-edificios |website=Japonismo |title=El Gate Tower Building de Osaka, o cuando las autopistas atraviesan edificios |language=es |date=14 October 2014 |access-date=16 June 2015}}</ref> The property rights' holders refused to give up, and negotiated with the Hanshin Expressway corporation for approximately five years to reach the current solution.<ref name="au">{{cite web |last=Schneider |first=Kate |url=http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/are-these-the-most-outrageous-hotel-designs-ever/story-fn6yjmti-1226797833900 |title=Are these the most outrageous hotel designs ever? |website=News.com.au |date=9 January 2014 |access-date=16 June 2015 |archive-date=1 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701221927/http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/are-these-the-most-outrageous-hotel-designs-ever/story-fn6yjmti-1226797833900 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Isaac |first=Hamza |url=http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/12/10-bizarre-buildings-and-their-fascinating-histories/ |title=10 Bizarre Buildings And Their Fascinating Histories |website=Gizmodo |date=10 December 2014 |access-date=16 June 2015}}</ref>

Although normally highway corporations purchase the land they build a highway on or over, it is not guaranteed to succeed and therefore issues like this can arise. For that reason, the highway laws, city planning laws, city redevelopment laws and building codes were partly revised in 1989 to allow the unified development of highways and buildings in the same space. This system was originally designed to facilitate the construction of the second [[ring road]] in the vicinity of [[Toranomon|Toranomon, Minato]], Tokyo, but in the end was not applied there. Instead, the system was put into effect in the construction of the Gate Tower Building, becoming Japan's first building to have a highway pass through it. Normally, highways are still built underground in these cases, and passing through a building is an extremely rare occurrence.

== See also ==
*[[Yau Ma Tei Car Park Building]], another building with a highway running through it (now demolished)
*[[Liziba station]], a monorail station located within a residential building

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[File:Gate Tower Building Street View.jpg|thumb|Gate Tower Building viewed from street level]]

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.kuriositas.com/2012/09/highwaythroughabuilding.html Hanshin Expressway and Gate Tower Building Photoset]

[[Category:Office buildings in Japan]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Osaka]]
[[Category:Expressways in Japan]]
[[Category:Fukushima-ku, Osaka]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 1992]]
[[Category:Transport buildings and structures in Osaka Prefecture]]

Gate Tower Building - Revision history

imported>Epicgenius: Changing short description from "16-story building in Japan notable for a highway going through it" to "Building in Fukushima-ku, Osaka"