Reason for selection: Nakameguro Ventilation Plant of the Tokyo Metropolitan Highway is installed
over the tunnel running under the Meguro River and the Yamanote Street
– a chic section of the City. Since the material for the Plant was required
to be aesthetic and durable, a weather-resistant ferritic stainless steel
grade was selected. Particularly for louvers and fixtures which are placed
at lower parts of the Plant and visible to the public, sand blast-finished
SUS445J1 with excellent designability is used and satisfies local residents’
request that “the Plant should be harmonious with the surrounding buildings”
and “the Plant should also be harmonious with the strolling path along
the Meguro River”.
In addition, SUS445J1 is adopted for the shutters for the Plant’s emergency
exits. Nakameguro Ventilation Plant is located close to Tokyo Bay and therefore
exposed to a severely corrosive environment. The shutters need to be reliable
and fully operative all the time, and cannot fail due to rust or other
causes in case of emergency.
The City’s infrastructures built half a century ago are now antiquated
and repair and renewal works are under way so as to complete their improvement
in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics. The adoption of stainless
steel for this Plant will serve as an empirical proof of the metal’s aesthetic
and durable aspects and contribute to upgrade social infrastructures.
