Takenaka Corporation's Singapore office, at #03-04 Eightrium on 15A Changi Business Park Central 1, is the local arm of Japan's oldest architectural, engineering and construction firm — a company whose roots reach back more than 400 years. From this Changi base, the team provides design, construction and project management services for clients in Singapore, drawing on a heritage that includes many of Japan's most prominent landmarks.
The company's tradition began in 1610, and the modern firm was founded in Kobe in 1899. Across the centuries its work has ranged from Takashimaya Kyoto-Ten (1912) and the Meijiseimeikan (1934) to Tokyo Tower (1958) and the New National Theatre (1986), with projects as far afield as the South Pole (1957) and the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (1991). In the Asia region, the National Gallery Singapore counts among the featured projects on the firm's regional site.
The Singapore office is one of seven branches in Takenaka's Asia Global Region, alongside Thailand, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, Malaysia and Vietnam. Its services span the full arc of a project: a dedicated design team carries work from concept design through to detailed design; design-build places design and construction under a single responsibility; PMCM provides project, program and construction management; and special engineering covers green features, healthcare and research & development, including earthquake engineering and insect control. Interior fitting-out works complete the offering.
The firm works to the motto 'Dreams into Reality for A Sustainable Future', guided by a philosophy of integrity, professionalism, innovation and teamwork — and by its stated aim of contributing to society by passing on the best works to future generations.
Suite #03-04 of Eightrium at 15A Changi Business Park Central 1 looks, from the outside, like any other professional address in Singapore's east. But the name behind the door — Takenaka Corporation — carries one of the longest continuous stories in world construction. This is Japan's oldest architectural, engineering and construction firm, an organisation whose tradition began in 1610 and whose modern form was founded in Kobe in 1899. Its Singapore office is the local gateway to that four-century legacy.
Few firms anywhere can sketch a timeline like Takenaka's. The company traces its foundation of tradition to 1610, with documented works such as Shima Kokubunji in 1841. After its formal founding in Kobe in 1899, the portfolio grew quickly: Takashimaya Kyoto-Ten in 1912, the Meijiseimeikan in 1934, winning designs in 1963. In 1957 the firm's work reached the South Pole; in 1958 it helped raise Tokyo Tower, still one of Japan's most recognisable landmarks. Later milestones include the New National Theatre in 1986, work as a dome contractor in 1988, and the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa in 1991.
Sustainability and research run through the story too. Green design appears as early as 1971, environmental conservation follows in 1992, and 1993 brought a state-of-the-art technical research center. A centenary was celebrated in 1999, urban redevelopment projects marked 2007, preservation and revival work in 2009, and an environmental concept and message in 2010. Today the company points toward a long-term target set for 2050.
The Changi Business Park office offers the firm's full range of regional services. Clients who need design alone can call on a dedicated team that develops projects from concept design through to detailed design, with every detail checked against client requirements while maintaining quality and maximising value.
For those who prefer a single point of accountability, design-build delivery places design and construction under one responsibility. Project, Program and Construction Management (PMCM) serves clients who want professional oversight of complex projects and programmes. Special engineering rounds out the technical depth, spanning green features, healthcare, and research & development — including earthquake engineering and insect control for the most demanding facilities. Interior fitting-out works complete the picture, allowing spaces to be delivered ready for use.
The Singapore office is one of seven regional branches in Takenaka's Asia Global Region, sitting alongside offices in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, Malaysia and Vietnam. The regional portfolio is varied: featured projects include the National Gallery Singapore, the Amada Bangalore Technical Centre in India, Cikarang Hotel Residences Phase 2 in Indonesia, the Mitsubishi Electric Thai Auto-Part plant in Thailand, and the Aeon Tebrau City Extension in Malaysia. Beyond Asia, the group's worldwide network extends to Japan and Europe.
Takenaka describes its mission simply: to contribute to society by passing on the best works to future generations, turning dreams into reality for a sustainable future. Four working values support that mission — integrity (take the path of truth, keep good faith and be steadfast), professionalism (be industrious and fulfil your responsibilities), innovation (devote yourself to your work with discipline) and teamwork (act in harmony and pursue prosperity for all of society).
For organisations in Singapore planning a headquarters, an industrial or healthcare facility, a research building, or an interior fit-out that calls for deep engineering experience, the Eightrium office offers a local starting point. As a corporate workplace, visits are best arranged in advance through the contact page on the company's website — after which the conversation can begin, as it has for Takenaka across four centuries, with a dream and a plan to build it.