The Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル Umeda Sukai Biru) is the twelfth-tallest building in Osaka, Japan, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the center.[1] It is located in Kita-ku.
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Located in the Umeda district of Kita-ku, the building was originally conceived in 1988 as the "City of Air" project, which planned to create four interconnected towers in northern Osaka. Eventually, practical considerations brought the number of towers down to two.
The 173 m (568 ft) building was designed by Hiroshi Hara.[2] It was constructed by Takenaka Corporation and was completed in 1993.[3]
The building features a rooftop observatory, The Floating Garden Observatory, as well as an underground market that attempts to recreate the atmosphere of Osaka in the early 20th century.[4] At the base of the towers is an urban garden with walking trails and water features.
The Umeda Sky Building was featured as a renovated skyscraper in the computer game Simcity 3000.
The Floating Garden Observatory in the Umeda Sky Building was visited in Leg 10 of Amazing Race 12.
The building was mainly owned by Toshiba Corporation through Toshiba Building Co., Ltd. In July 2008, Toshiba sold a majority stake (65%) in Toshiba Building to Nomura Real Estate co. but maintains a 35% ownership.[5]
Mazda has an office in the Umeda Sky Building Tower East.[6] The Consulate-General of Germany in Osaka is located on the thirty-fifth floor of the Umeda Sky Building Tower East.[7]