JP Tower Osaka - 3M DI-NOC in a Mixed-Use Commercial Complex

JP Tower Osaka is a large-scale mixed-use complex directly connected to Osaka Station, completed in spring 2024. The building includes offices, retail, a 1,300-seat theater, and hotel facilities - all built on the historic site of the first Osaka Station (opened 1874) and the former Osaka Central Post Office (standing since 1939). Part of the original post office building was preserved and relocated into the main atrium.

The building was designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd., one of Japan's largest architecture firms. Across the complex, the design team selected seven 3M™ DI-NOC™ Architectural Finishes patterns plus custom designs, alongside FASARA™ Glass Finishes and 3M™ Sun Control Film to create distinct environments for each space - from high-traffic office corridors to a retro-inspired executive lounge.

Common Area Corridors

The 1st floor common area corridors use AE-1955, a stone and concrete tile pattern with an abstract finish. The pattern harmonizes with the stone flooring and subtly connects the various spaces without being overly dominant - the right approach for an area that bridges the building's office, retail, and public zones.

Office Floors - Custom DI-NOC for Tenant Flexibility

The office floors are expected to see regular tenant turnover after opening, so the Nikken Sekkei team chose 3M™ DI-NOC™ Architectural Finishes for the standard floor walls because of its effectiveness in resisting damage during move-in and move-out work and its ease of daily maintenance.

For the elevator halls and aisle walls, Nikken Sekkei worked with 3M to create a custom DI-NOC design - a gray wood-grain pattern with subdued color and a sense of intonation. The goal was a monotone space that harmonizes with any company's corporate colors without interfering with their identity.

As Futoshi Ishii of Nikken Sekkei explained: "We compared DI-NOC Architectural Finishes with other finishing materials, and the results of a stain wiping performance test conducted for business owners were the deciding factor."

The wood grain pattern catches the light in a way that creates a high-quality space. The same custom design carries through the aisle walls near restrooms, while PS-1187 (Solid Color) is used on the office restroom walls alongside the custom pattern.

DI-NOC Patterns Used in Office Areas

Pattern	Series	Application
Custom design	Wood grain (gray)	Elevator hall walls, aisle walls near restrooms, restroom walls
PS-1187	Single Color	Restroom walls

Retro Lounge - Metallic DI-NOC Creates a Social Club Atmosphere

The 8th floor has a lounge for tenants, inspired by an Osaka social club. The space can be used for meetings or rented out for events, providing workers with a place to relax and socialize. DI-NOC plays a critical role in bringing this vision to life.

The interior columns are finished with ME-1997 - a metallic pattern with a brass-like texture. The same pattern runs along the joints of the curved ceiling, giving the space a warm, golden accent. In a space with low illumination, the brass-like texture is effectively used as an accent in the joints. Despite the retro atmosphere, the joint division and joint width give the ceiling a modern sharpness.

The automatic doors use ME-486, a bolder metallic finish. As Taishi Ishii of Nikken Sekkei noted: "The metal tone of the ME-486 tends to be gaudy in a normal space, but in a stately, low-lit lounge space, it fits in better than I expected."

The large expanse of window glass on one side of the lounge is covered with 3M™ Sun Control Film, helping maintain a comfortable indoor environment without blocking the view with curtains or blinds.

Futoshi Ishii added: "The metallic series of 3M DI-NOC Architectural Finishes are really useful. The texture is perfect. I could really feel it in this project."

KITTE Osaka Retail - Scratch-Resistant Film for High-Traffic Restrooms

The lower floors of the complex house KITTE Osaka, a retail facility designed to help visitors rediscover the charms of various regions of Japan. Restaurants and antenna stores line the floors from the first basement to the sixth floor. The restrooms on the commercial floors, visited by many people daily, were designed to match the theme of each floor.

To maintain the restrooms' appearance over time, the 3M™ DI-NOC™ AR Abrasion Resistant Series was widely used across the commercial floors.

On the 5th floor restaurant level, ME-1781AR provides a nuanced metallic tone on the washbasin counter front panel that blends with the high-end dining atmosphere. The color and texture work with the neutral color space.

In the B1F zone, ME-2284AR adds a chic metallic finish to the washbasin counter, creating a sense of cleanliness. The same pattern covers the lower half of the urinal walls, with PS-1187 on the upper half.

Kaori Kohata of Nikken Sekkei explained: "The restrooms will be especially important for scratch-resistant materials. The color and pattern are determined within that context. 3M DI-NOC Architectural Finishes AR Abrasion Resistant Series combines both."

Theater - FASARA Glass Finishes for Transparency and Privacy

Sky Theater MBS is located on the 6th floor and seats approximately 1,300 people. To ensure that the dynamic spatial presentation is not obstructed and that the view from below the steps is not blocked, 3M™ FASARA™ Glass Finishes (Mist PR, SH2FGMI-PR) was used for the staircase handrails and glass balustrades. The film features a beautiful gradation that looks like frosted glass, softly blurring the space behind it while maintaining transparency.

3M™ Sun Control Film was also used on the large glass wall overlooking JR Osaka Station, helping reduce the temperature rise near windows without blocking views.

Why DI-NOC for a Project This Scale

JP Tower Osaka demonstrates why major architecture firms choose DI-NOC for large commercial projects. As Takehiko Kuge of Nikken Sekkei put it: "3M DI-NOC Architectural Finishes have more flexibility in color and texture. The time has come to choose not only by durability but also by design."

And as Futoshi Ishii added: "The beauty of 3M DI-NOC Architectural Finishes is that if you clean up the joints, you can get a uniform, clean finish on a wall, even with fixtures and different substrates."

The key advantages the Nikken Sekkei team cited:

Design range. With over 900 standard patterns plus custom design capabilities, DI-NOC offered the variety needed to create distinct identities for every space - metallic accents in the lounge, abstract stone in the corridors, custom wood grain in the offices.

Scratch resistance. The AR Abrasion Resistant Series was the deciding factor for the high-traffic retail restrooms, combining durability with design flexibility.

Maintainability. Stain-wiping performance tests against competing materials convinced the building owners. The ease of daily maintenance was critical for a facility serving thousands of people.

Uniform finish. DI-NOC creates clean, consistent surfaces across walls with different substrates and fixtures - a key advantage on a project with this many surfaces to cover.

Products Used

Pattern	Series	Location
AE-1955	Stone/Concrete Tile	1F common area corridors
ME-486	Metal Hairline	Lounge automatic doors
ME-1781AR	Metal Hairline (AR)	5F restaurant restroom washbasin counter
ME-1997	Metal Hairline	Lounge columns and curved ceiling joints
ME-2284AR	Metal (AR)	B1F restroom washbasin counter and lower urinal walls
PS-1187	Solid Color	Office restroom walls and B1F upper urinal walls
PS-3866MT	Solid Color (Matte)	Accent surfaces

Project Details

Project	JP Tower Osaka / KITTE Osaka
Location	Osaka, Japan (directly connected to JR Osaka Station)
Completed	Spring 2024
Building type	Mixed-use complex (office, retail, theater, hotel)
Design firm	Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
3M products	DI-NOC Architectural Finishes, FASARA Glass Finishes (SH2FGMI-PR), Sun Control Film
DI-NOC patterns	7 standard patterns plus custom designs, spanning Metallic, Stone/Concrete, Solid Color, and Abrasion Resistant series
Key applications	Office elevator halls and aisle walls, restrooms, lounge columns and curved ceiling, retail restroom counters, common area corridors

Case study data sourced from 3M. Results may vary by project. Contact us to discuss DI-NOC for your commercial renovation project, or view our installation guide to learn more about the application process.