Does anybody know what this is?

Hi sometime ago i saw during a visit to Tokyo a contraption in a building near the Kabuki Theatre near Ginze. I have no idea what it is. It looks something for an elevator. I have not taken a picture. But now i saw a picture on the internet:
http://picasaweb.google.nl/butchijos/TokyoGeneral1#5078906744435486450.
the contraption is in a semi circular building directly accross from the theatre.
As i always wondered what this what i hope somebody can tell me.

J. Pieters,

There are two buildings standing across the street from the main entrance of the Kabuki Theater. I checked them out on Google Street View and indeed the one on the left (with the Theater behind you) has something that looks similar to your photograph. I have no doubt it's an ordinary elevator.

rental office

I'm sorry, I just double-checked and now I think that it can be just a space with a round window. Here is their blueprint.
http://www.office-network.co.jp/madori_img/madori_F00000067047.jpg

Actually, the photo you posted looks like an elevator, though.

That is definitely an elevator shaft. Glass elevators are fairly common in Tokyo.

Hi, Thanks for the response.
Indeed the total building is not round. Just the corner (the previous picture is more clear on this modern building).
I am pretty sure it is not an elevator. Below the construction on street level there is a shop and not an elevator entrance/cabin. Also the contraption is directly above the street level floor (so no room for an cabin).
Sometimes you can see the mechanism of an elevator in view on the outside of a building. But if this has anything to do with an elevator i think it is very large/complex (where are all the individual parts needed for?)
I hope anybody can shed some light on this 'thing'?

I might have to go and have a look at it, since I work near Ginza. Remember not all elevators start from the ground floor- I'm still not convinced it's not al elevator shaft, because I don't really see what else it could be. Anyway, I'll go and have a look if I have time next week.

Hi Sira,
I appreciate it if you check it out.
Of cource i realize that not all elevators start at the ground floor. (BTW I do not remeber that i saw anything move.)
I start to think that it is a piece of art. Also possible that the company that has an office there (if that is the case) just shows a typical peace of equipment that has been used or still in use in the company. If possible check out if there is a plaque that gives this information (if it is not an elevator :-)
Well i am waiting to hear from you.

A installation of Yukihiro Yoshihara.

http://www2.gol.com/users/adi/artdi/public.html

http://www.lovely.com/bios/yoshihara.html

J. Pieters,

What did you think about the blueprint I posted earlier? As I mentioned, I think it's just a glass wall that works as a window.

Hi everybody.
To Uco: I looked at the blueprint. But i was not that interested in the building but only in the contraption.
We now know as result of xexstyle links (thanks xexstyle), that it is a piece of art.
Next question. Does it have some meaning?

J. Pieters,

What I was saying was that from the blueprint, we can see that the elevator (indicated as "EV") is located in a different area and that the glass half dome you're talking about is just a space with no function, at least on the upper floors.

We now know from Xexstyle's link that, at the lower floors, it's a "permanent installation" art piece. The meaning of this piece is, I suppose, within the eyes of the beholder. But I don't think it's for practical use, except that it brings people together like us on this thread.

As suggested, it's a building for rental offices and rental shops. It's natural to assume that the lower floors with the installation was designed to be shops or showrooms where customers can enjoy the installation, and the upper floors are probably using the "roof" of it as part of the floor. I'm sure that the dome-shaped glass should bring in a lot of light into the room on the upper floors.

I'm also curious to hear what Sira finds out when she goes to work.

Sorry, my last post was mis-leading. The blueprint itself shows that the half-dome area cannot be used (there is an X), and that's probably because the blueprint represents the lower floors where the installation is. But from photos on the web, it seems that on the upper floors that part is just a floor.