Today, let’s take a gently enthusiastic—occasionally cheeky—stroll through one of Tokyo’s eternal design icons: Spiral, the multi-purpose cultural complex in Omotesandō.

Opened in 1985 and turning 40 in 2025, it somehow refuses to age. You know that one person at your high school reunion who looks suspiciously young while everyone else has… matured? Yes. Spiral is that person.
The moment you step out of Omotesandō Station’s B1 exit, you instantly think:
“Ah, I’ve arrived in Aoyama.” Standing gracefully along Aoyama-dōri, Spiral radiates cultural charm and a curated sense of cool—a landmark that has long served as the neighborhood’s “cultural transmitter.”

Designed by world-renowned architect Fumihiko Maki, recipient of the R.S. Reynolds Award and recognized by DOCOMOMO, Spiral is essentially a Hall of Fame inductee in modern architecture.
For design and furniture professionals, this is the kind of building you quietly take pride in knowing.

First Impression: “Wait… this building is really 40 years old?

Step through the main entrance and a three-story atrium unfolds before you—bright, open, and airy.
At its center, a wide and graceful spiral ramp winds upward, the kind of sight that awakens your design-sensitive neurons instantly. People often say:

“Back in the day, the area had Laplace, the TSUTAYA building, and so many others…
Now, Spiral is the only one left that still carries that original Aoyama aura.”

And they’re not wrong. Despite its age, Spiral never feels dated.
If anything, it feels like a space that’s been freshly updated—clean, refined, and calmly confident.
This doesn’t happen by accident. The level of maintenance, the devotion to aesthetics, and the attention to detail are nothing short of extraordinary. It’s no wonder Spiral has become Aoyama’s enduring symbol.

What You’ll Actually Do There

① Wander through exhibitions, effortlessly cultured
There is always something happening—fashion, craft, art, photography, product design.
The range is broad, but the atmosphere is consistently intelligent and stylish, especially in the Spiral Garden exhibitions.

② Explore the Spiral Market—where daily life meets art
This is a treasure box of good taste. Home goods, accessories, crafted products…
Everything looks like it’s whispering, “Take me home and let’s upgrade your life just a little.”

③ Rest at Spiral Café, where elegance never sacrifices comfort
Aoyama pricing? Yes.
But the space itself feels like it secretly wants everyone to stay longer than they planned.

④ Admire the architecture itself
Not overwhelming, but unforgettable. Minimal, but not cold.
Refined, but warm. The building is pure Fumihiko Maki: intelligence expressed through elegance.

If you work in architecture, furniture, or spatial design, simply walking inside will spark inspiration.(ahem, like us) Spiral is a space to savor. A space to absorb ideas. A space where creators quietly inspire each othe

When you work in furniture or design, you naturally pay attention to how architecture, interiors, and objects “talk.” Wall textures. Traffic flow. Angle of natural light. Spiral speaks in a beautifully calm voice through all of these details. It’s also the perfect warm-up before a meeting: a little stroll, a deep breath, and suddenly you’re tuned to “Aoyama mode.”

December: A Christmas Market That’s… Cosmic?

In December 2025, Spiral is hosting a boldly imaginative “cosmic Christmas.” Artist Yume Aoyama created a Christmas tree that merges Santa Claus with an alien—yes, an unexpected “space × Christmas” collaboration. The event is split into three periods, alternating between Lifestyle goods & fashion and Art exhibitions. Workshops and distinctive brands continue to join throughout the month:

• tactor (apparel)
• ON glass jewelry
• Yumi Otsuki (textiles)
• Tatsuro Maeno (ceramics)
• FUMI NARASAKI (stoles)
• urukst (leather)
• NIZYU KANO (lifestyle)

Plus a lineup of contemporary art galleries:

• Otherwise Gallery
• K ART GALLERY
• AWASE gallery
• biscuit gallery
• DDD ART

This is Aoyama giving us its full strength—design-forward, art-conscious, and beautifully curated.

Final Thoughts
Tokyo often dazzles with loud, flashy places. But the quiet, heart-moving spaces deserve just as much love.Spiral stays new—even at 40. Not by shouting, but by quietly shining. Not by trends, but by timeless intelligence. Whether you explore an exhibition, appreciate the architecture, or encounter an alien-Santa Christmas tree, you’ll leave with one thought:“So this is what it means for a space to be loved for decades.” In many ways, it mirrors what we aim for in furniture-making:
Not loud, not temporary— but quietly beautiful, and meant to live alongside people for a very long time. Spiral remains one of Aoyama’s strongest gentle presences.

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