The project's launch was due to coincide with the now delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of an effort to improve the city ahead of the games. Tamura's toilet block was informed by Origata – the traditional Japanese method of gift wrapping – to reference the notion of hospitality.
"The renovation of these public spaces was conceived in the spirit of hospitality and as a symbolic gift to Shibuya's international visitors," Tamura told Dezeen.
"The ancient technique is not only an expression of beauty and etiquette but one of the highest forms of honor and respect when bestowed upon its receiver," she continued.
"In order to replicate the Origata technique and the precise folds of paper that embody it, I chose steel plates to create the exterior's structure and facade."
The triangular toilet block is divided into three with a wheelchair-accessible bathroom, female toilet and male toilet aligned in a row with the male toilet at the tip of the triangle.
Each of the toilets has a stall with a closing door alongside an area for washing hands with a sink and a mirror.
All three toilets are wrapped in a metal shell that Tamura is bright red. A colour that the designer chose to make the block easy to spot and would project a "sense of urgency".
"My first consideration was to not create a structure that would not just blend in with the surroundings," she said. "The location is industrial and lies beneath an elevated train station clad in concrete."
"I wanted to create an intervention that would be easily seen, recognised and telegraph a sense of urgency. All the things which typically accompany ones need to locate and use a public toilet," she continued.
"The colour red for me represents safety and immediacy and my feeling is that a public toilet is simply a utilitarian structure with one purpose only – it is not a place to linger or gather."
Tamura aimed to create a toilet that where all users feel welcome by focusing on safety and privacy. She hopes to "embrace the LGBT+ community" with her design.
"I believe that addressing the safety and privacy of users is most essential to a comfortable experience for everyone including LGBTQ+ community," she explained.
"When I embarked on this project, I decided that I didn't want to make a distinction between male and female when it comes to transgender," Tamura continued.
"My feeling is that if you identify as a woman, you should feel free to use the ladies room and if you identify as a man, feel free to use the men's room."
Shun Ishizuka, Ikki Kobayashi, Kenta Cobayashi, Mina Tabei, Yui Takada and Yuki Yoki are just a few of the creatives contributing to the poster exhibition raising money for conservation organisation More Trees.
Architectural photographer Sebastian Weiss has captured the brightly coloured La Muralla Roja housing estate designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill in his latest photo series.
Weiss decided to photograph the Calpe housing estate La Muralla Roja, which translates into English as the Red Wall, after seeing the building in a monograph published to celebrate Bofill's 80th birthday.
"I already visited Ricardo Bofill's buildings in Paris and Montpellier, but from his architecture in Calpe, I had only seen images up to then," Weiss told Dezeen.
"When Bofill celebrated his 80th anniversary in 2019, the Gestalten Verlag published an extensive monograph which also contains a very impressive series of pictures about Muralla Roja," he continued. "When I saw this, it was clear to me that I had to see and photograph this extraordinary building myself."
La Muralla Roja stands on the Spanish coast at the top of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Bofill designed the apartment building to be a fortress-like structure with tall red walls shielding a series of internal courtyards.
"I think the remarkable aspects are the enormous geometrical reduction, the radical simplicity and visual severity of the building, considering the growing mass tourism on the Spanish coast at that time – it was completed in 1973!" explained Weiss.
"Also the defensible character of the construction is impressive, which Bofill derived from the Maghreb castle architecture," he continued.
"It kind of represents a fortress, which seals itself off from the public and in which the inner courtyards and lanes resemble the confusing layouts of the old souks of north Africa."
Bofill, who is known for his bold use of colour within his architecture projects, painted the walls of the block in various shades of red, from which the building takes its name.
This is contrasted with light blue shades that were used for some of the buildings stairs and its many rooftop terraces, including the area around its pool.
Weiss was also drawn to the building's complex geometric internal stairs and circulation routes, which reminded him of the work of Dutch graphic artist MC Escher.
"In my eyes, the most fascinating feature is the optical illusion which makes the building unique," the photographer said.
"Stairs and alleys seem to go to nowhere, they change from wide to narrow, and this brings to my mind MC Escher. In combination with the sunlight – stronger and smoother saturation – the construction is a delightfully confusing and absurdly beautiful architecture."
"This surreal place is a feast for the senses and fascinates with its perfect tuning of colours, geometrical shapes, public and private areas as well as light and shadow plays," continued Weiss.
"I lived in an apartment of this building for one week and it feels like to move through a set of a movie production."
Since La Muralla Roja was completed it has become a landmark in the town of Calpe and is now used as the backdrop for numerous photoshoots, which were witnessed by Weiss.
"All in all it was a great pleasure to take the photos there," he said. "The exposed location on top of the coastal rocks in combination with a sometimes dramatic play of colours result in fascinating view axis. However, it was a puzzle with the sun, as I shot the pictures in late autumn."
"It was difficult not to disturb the residents of the building," he continued.
"Nearly everyday photoshoots take place, mostly fashion shootings with several persons, so the inhabitants are annoyed of these happenings. Voices echo very much in the inner courtyard, also every camera trigger mechanism, every step and word can be heard easily."
Although Weiss enjoyed photographing the housing block, he believes that the building is best understood in person.
"Photography can convey the fascination for this location to a certain extent," he said.
"But in the end, I believe that the magic and the surreal utopia of La Muralla Roja can be understood best if it is experienced on the spot within the facilities."
All longlisted studios are listed below, each with a link to a dedicated page on the Dezeen Awards website where you can find an image and more information about each one.
Awards will be given to the best studios in each of the architecture, interior design and design categories, with studios founded less than 10 years ago competing in the emerging studio categories and more established practices battling to be named studio of the year.
Gad Line+ Studio is longlisted in the emerging architect of the year category.
