What if a shopping center felt like a tree? That is the idea behind Trie Keio Chofu. It is a shopping center in Chofu, Tokyo. It opened on September 29, 2017.
Trie Keio Chofu has three buildings. They are named A, B, and C. Keio Electric Railway owns the buildings.
But why “Trie”? The name is a mix of Latin and Icelandic. “Tri” means three in Latin. In Icelandic, it means tree. The idea is that the three buildings are like three big trees. They are rooted in the town. They grow with the area.
The design connects the buildings. There is an open space between A and B plus C buildings. It also has a railway that looks like the old above-ground station. The goal was to link the buildings. Building C is far from the station. The planners wanted to draw people there. Building C has a cinema complex. Building B has a big electronics store. This way, people visit all three buildings. They walk from one end to the other.
Each building in Trie Keio Chofu has a special focus. Building A has many shops. It offers daily goods and trendy items. The goal is to make people visit often. It adds color to their daily life. A big supermarket called Seijo Ishii is on the first floor. It is one of the biggest in the Kanto area. There is also a sweets shop that is new to the Keio line.
Building B aims to be competitive. It wants to attract customers. A large electronics store called Bic Camera is here. The store is not found within 5km. There is also a cafe called Meat Stock. It is the second store in Tokyo with a meat theme.
Building C offers a place to spend time. It shows the charm of Chofu. The design focuses on the local area. On the first floor, there is a shop by a Chofu artist. It is called Saruta Genjiro Nyuru Chofu Smoked House. There is also a cycling shop. The upper floors have the Ion Cinema Theatus Chofu. It has eleven screens. It is one of the biggest in the Tama area. Chofu is known as a “movie town”. But the city’s only cinema closed in 2011. This new cinema brought movies back to Chofu.
The buildings share a design style. They use earth colors. The designers reused old rails as frames. They added plants, signs and lights to these frames. It makes a pleasant street to walk through. The design also saves energy. It uses insulated panels. This reduces building costs.
Trie Keio Chofu is more than just shops. It is a place that connects people. It brings movies back to Chofu. It is a symbol of the town’s growth. It is a place where three buildings become like three trees. They grow together.