On the afternoon of the 3rd, more than 20 junior high and high school students appeared on the roof of the Palaceside Building. After chatting and enjoying the sweeping view of the Imperial Palace below, they returned to Nikken Sekkei's Takebashi office on the eighth floor. They were participants in Nikken Sekkei's "Experience Work at an Architecture Firm" workshop, taking a breather and touring the roof.
The workshop was held in support of "Summer Riko-challe 2022: Experience STEM Careers," an event by the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education and Keidanren to foster STEM talent. One of Nikken Sekkei's challenges is "thinking about toilets suited to a new era"; over about four hours the students experienced part of the work while considering "toilets anyone can use easily" for schools.
During the workshop Nikken Sekkei introduced the Palaceside Building as follows: "To give office workers a comfortable environment, we provided large windows for bright rooms and opened the roof as a place of rest. Shops on the first basement and first floors let people eat, shop and run errands inside the building." What stimulus did the Palaceside Building's pursuit of comfort — that is, ease of use — give the students?