Tobu Railway Asakusa Station/Tobu Nikko Station Renewal

This is a renewal project for Asakusa Station on the Tobu Skytree Line and Tobu Nikko Station on the Tobu Nikko Line, coinciding with the start of operation of Tobu Railway's new limited express train, Spacia X.

This project is based on the concept of "connecting," and aims to create a sense of continuity in the space from before boarding the Spacia X to after disembarking. Furthermore, the concept of "connecting" encompasses several meanings, including "connecting to a journey to Nikko," "connecting the old and new station building concept design," "connecting the history and culture of the areas along the railway line to the future," and "connecting the skills and thoughts of the creators to the users."
 

As a station building concept design that embodies the concept of "connecting," we have actively utilized materials from Tochigi Prefecture and incorporated motifs derived from Nikko's nature, history, and culture into concept design. We also aim to promote "environmental conservation" and "cultural dissemination" of the areas along the railway line as part of Tobu Railway's new initiatives. Furthermore, to convey these initiatives, our company was in charge of producing graphic posters on the theme of "connecting," which were displays inside Asakusa Station and Tobu Nikko Station.

The client requested that the station building be designed to evoke the sense of anticipation and lingering excitement about the journey, while also promoting environmental conservation and the culture of the areas along the line as a new initiative for Tobu Railway.

Renovated areas
・ Asakusa Station: Platform 5, information counter, wall around ticket gates, etc.
・ Tobu Nikko Station: Atrium outside the ticket gates, waiting area, etc.

■Station building renovation
At Asakusa Station, concept design of Platform 5, the departure platform for the Spacia X, and the concourse incorporates wood-grain decorations and lighting effects that evoke the natural beauty and grandeur of Nikko. At Tobu Nikko Station, brass-like and wood-grain decorations expressing the splendor of Nikko Toshogu Shrine are used in the atrium of the concourse outside the ticket gates, creating a unified space that connects the two stations. Furthermore, both stations aim to preserve the environment and promote the culture of the areas along the railway line by using "thinned timber" from Tobu Railway's forests and "locally sourced materials" such as Oya stone and Ashino stone from Tochigi Prefecture in interiors and benches.
■ Graphic Poster
For the station's renovation, we created posters that convey the process by which "thinned timber" and "locally sourced timber," used in the station's interiors and benches, are transformed from a part of nature into a part of the station building through the hands of craftsmen. We photographed scenes of thinning timber being felled in Tobu Railway's forests, the processing by craftsmen, and the mining and processing of locally sourced Oya stone and Ashino stone at factories. By combining these images with a logo and text based on the concept of "connecting," we visually communicate Tobu Railway's efforts. The posters are displays in a newly established gallery on platform 5 at Asakusa Station and above the atrium at Tobu Nikko Station, so that passengers can enjoy them while waiting for their trains. Photographer Shinnosuke Yoshimori provided the photographs, and graphic designer Toru Aoyagi, who resides in Tochigi Prefecture, collaborated on the graphics.