Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal is an inspiring piece of architecture and an exciting addition to Yokohama's vibrant waterfront. The undulating rooftop, with its natural grass lawns and deck finished in Brazilian wood, feels more like a natural feature of the landscape than a man-made building.

The steel-framed structure is constructed with a folding-plate system that enables the massive interior space to be free of supporting columns. There are no interior stairs, and visitors can move between the levels of the building via ramps. Elevators are operated hydraulically to eliminate the need for machine rooms on the roof.

The busy passenger terminal replaces the original Osanbashi Pier that served the port of Yokohama since its construction in 1894. In 1994 a competition was held to design the current structure, and it drew 660 submissions from architects in 41 countries. The winning design was by the UK architectural team of Farshid Moussavi and Alejandro Zaera Polo, and construction was completed in December 2002.