The Shin-Marunouchi Building, an office and commercial complex tower, constitutes, along with the Marunouchi Building, the core of the Marunouchi Redevelopment Project launched in 1998 and completed in 2007. Standing in a prime location right in front of the Marunouchi entrance of Tokyo Station facing a street leading to the Imperial Palace, it acts as a major element of the urban landscape in the vicinity. Long established as a distinguished business district since before World War II, Marunouchi, having the headquarters of major corporations and financial institutions, is today Japan's pivotal business centre. The aim was to create a mixed-use high-rise building with the best suited functions for global business, following a thorough understanding of its historical context. The design intention was to bring vitality to the city through the placement of shops and restaurants in the lower section, which continues and merges into the bustling shopping street on the west side of the building. In the tower meanwhile, the most advanced office space is created while maintaining relationships with the adjacent Marunouchi Building. The facade consists of glazed shop windows to animate the street. Bay windows with glass fins are employed on the retail levels creating a unified exterior. The details of the facade design were realised by striking a balance between the close human-scale view and a distant view of the entire tower.