The Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in Shinjuku was designed by Tange Associates, with a team led by Paul Noritaka Tange, son of Kenzo Tange. Construction began in May 2006, and the tower opened in October 2008. It rises 669 feet (204 m), with 50 floors above ground and three below.
The architects chose a cocoon form to symbolize the nurturing of students, and the competition brief required a non-rectangular building. A curved shell of white aluminum and dark blue glass is crossed by white diagonal lines. Each floor has three rectangular classrooms around an inner core of elevators, stairs and support shaft. A three-story student lounge occurs every three floors.
The tower houses Tokyo Mode Gakuen, HAL Tokyo and Shuto Ikō, and it can hold 10,000 students. Emporis named it Skyscraper of the Year for 2008. It is the second-tallest educational building in the world, after the main building of Moscow State University.
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