Marine & Walk Yokohama Clay Tile Facade Case Study
Explore the Marine & Walk Yokohama clay tile facade, separating independently verified project facts from LOPO’s sample-development and finish claims.
Historical archive: product availability, standards and event information may have changed. Contact LOPO for current specifications.The Marine & Walk Yokohama clay tile facade supports the waterfront retail project’s warehouse-inspired identity through varied red-brown wall fields. Independent project sources confirm the development, location, completion period and design team. LOPO-controlled pages separately describe clay-tile sample development and supply. These evidence levels must remain distinct: a company project record is not independent proof of product scope, and a completed facade photograph is not a technical report.
Verified Project Record
| Field | Verified or reported entry | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|
| Project | MARINE & WALK YOKOHAMA | Current official project site and developer record |
| Location | Shinko, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | Developer and official-site address |
| Completion | Developer reports February 2016; Minato Mirai records the opening in 2016 | Independent primary records |
| Client and design | Mitsubishi Corporation Urban Development; architectural design by RIA and Kajima; facade direction by THINK GREEN PRODUCE and Jamo Associates | Developer and design-practice records |
| Total floor area | Developer reports approximately 13,486 m²; RIA lists 13,446 m² | Source discrepancy; neither figure is clay-tile area |
| Clay tile scope | LOPO says it developed samples and tiles for the project | Company-reported; contract, quantity and acceptance records not published |
Project Identity Comes Before the Material Story
The official venue describes an open mall formed by creating a pedestrian street in a waterfront warehouse district and connecting sea, greenery, shops and outdoor furniture. That concept is consistent with the long, low building, repeated storefront bays and aged-looking red-brown surfaces shown in the archive images.
The current official address and 2016 completion record correct a common archive problem: the 2017 LOPO publication date is not the project year. Likewise, “MM21” is a Minato Mirai context reference, not a tile item number.
What LOPO Reports About the Tile Development
LOPO’s article says the first test direction came from a handmade clay tile and was developed with the designer toward an aged appearance. It also describes two tile thicknesses, each combined with three levels of a dark surface addition. The wording does not identify the thickness values, unit dimensions, item code, clay body, finish formula, approved range, batch method, supplied area, quantity, installer, or fixing or bonding system.
Those omissions matter. “Two thicknesses” cannot be converted into a current order without drawings and schedules, and the phrase “black powder” should not be copied into a specification without a declared material, application method, safety information and sample reference.
Read the Facade at Three Scales
From the waterfront approach, the tile colour helps the retail building relate visually to Yokohama’s warehouse setting without copying one historic elevation. At storefront scale, dark metal canopies, signs, windows and planting break the masonry-like field into individual tenant fronts. At close range, joint rhythm, surface marks and tonal variation influence whether the wall reads as deliberately aged or simply inconsistent.
The archived photograph with the painted “Never Say Never” panel also shows why graphics, services, downpipes, lighting and tenant alterations should be included in facade coordination. A finish approval made before those elements are known may not represent the completed composition.
Turn an Aged Look into Approval Criteria
A current project should define variation rather than asking for an undefined “centuries-old” appearance. Begin with the current terracotta brick and facing range, then confirm whether the proposed unit is fired clay, its complete dimensions, manufacturing route and intended wall use.
- Approve light, middle and dark physical limits plus unacceptable marks and extremes.
- Record thickness, unit format, edge treatment, surface deposit or coating, orientation and joint material.
- Review several units and a representative blend, not one ideal sample or screen image.
- Build a multi-unit mock-up with corners, openings, trims, services and cleaning trials.
- Seal sample IDs, comments, viewing conditions, batch rules and approval authority.
The terracotta brick texture guide explains range and mock-up approval in more detail.
Keep Product, Installation and Performance Evidence Separate
A project photograph cannot establish bond strength, support, water management, movement, fire behaviour, frost exposure, impact resistance, colour stability, maintenance or service life. Request current product data and project-relevant reports, then coordinate substrate, adhesive or mortar, mechanical restraint where applicable, joints, flashings, edges, penetrations and replacement access.
Delivery checks should match the approved sample range, labels, dimensions, quantities and documents. Use the terracotta tile inspection checklist only after adapting its criteria to the exact unit and installation route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Marine & Walk Yokohama open in 2017?
No. Independent records place completion and opening in 2016; 2017 is the LOPO article date.
What tile item and dimensions were used?
The source does not provide an item code, unit size or the two thickness values. Current project and supplier records are required.
Is 13,486 m² the clay-tile facade area?
No. It is the developer’s approximate total floor area. No verified tile area or quantity is published.
Do the images prove LOPO supplied every red-brown wall?
No. LOPO reports project development and supply, but contract scope and zone schedules are not public here.
Request a Comparable Tile Development
Review related work in the LOPO project gallery. Send the elevations, substrate, tile geometry, aged-finish direction, physical reference, evidence requirements, quantity, destination and programme through the project enquiry page.
