This new corporate headquarters was recognized with a Lighting Control Innovation Award of Merit in the 2026 Illumination Awards held by the Illuminating Engineering Society. Lighting and control design by Nikken Sekkei Ltd./Kajima Design/Koizumi Lighting Technology Corp. Photography by Shinji Miyamoto, Nozomu Shimao, and Matt & Massimo G.K.
The Lighting Control Innovation Award was created in 2011 as part of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s Illumination Awards program, which recognizes professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design. The Lighting Controls Academy is proud to be a founding and longstanding founding sponsor of the Lighting Control Innovation Award, which recognizes projects that exemplify the effective use of lighting controls.
The new headquarters, celebrating its 100th anniversary, aimed to redefine the concept of a workplace where people come together to work after the COVID-19 pandemic. The design fosters unity on a site divided by a road, with a wooden office featuring tiered floors that connect people and the city through diverse spaces. The outer perimeter of the office features stepped-floor spaces with varying floor and ceiling levels, creating a variety of workplace layouts by combining changes in spatial scale with unique furniture designs.
The eaves of the exterior are illuminated to emphasize a distinctly Japanese wooden aesthetic. The stepped-floor spaces are designed to actively bring in daylight, minimizing the need for electric lighting during the day and achieving significant energy savings. The lighting plan also prioritizes comfort, adjusting the color temperature throughout the day-morning, daytime, and evening—to align with the human circadian rhythm.
The central area of the floor integrates various control technology, enabling personalized environmental adjustments that achieve a balance between high flexibility, comfort, and energy efficiency. Lighting intensity, color temperature, and air conditioning airflow can be controlled directly by user interface. By utilizing NFC tags, the system detects a user’s location and adjusts nearby lighting and air conditioning, making it compatible with free-address office setups. This approach embraces the “task and ambient” concept to customize the working environment, enhancing workplace freedom while simultaneously promoting energy efficiency.
The shadows of the illuminated plants adorn the terrace ceiling.
Iconic timber facades of two urban towers.
Highlighting the eaves ceiling to showcase the warmth of wood.
Enveloping high-ceiling spaces gently with natural light and downlights.
Stepped floor actively harness natural light for energy efficiency.
Well-Being through circadian lighting. (Left: 2700K / Right: 5000K).
Customizing the environment to suit personal preferences through field control.
