Abeno Harukas was not planned as a single building, but designed as if it was a city. This was achieved by incorporating a range of urban functions including a train station, a department store, an art museum, offices, a hotel and an observatory. To accommodate each function, pillar spans and ceiling heights were optimized. Trusses were set up throughout the building to connect frameworks taking the activities inside each space fully into consideration. Vertically positioned trusses not only protect the building from earthquakes and wind, but also support this vertical city’s activities from many angles, accommodating vertical service lines such as elevator shafts and stairwells, as well as equipment/machine rooms to supply energy, and space for ventilation and lighting as an “Eco Void”. By revealing diverse activities through its transparent façade, it becomes part of the city landscape, not a mere building, bringing a new dynamism to the Abeno Area in Osaka.