Cool Modern Design

[Juker777]

Check this out, Japan has figured out how to design the perfect corner store.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GasStationHiroshima.jpg

[thelakelander]

Nice find.  I wonder how much this would cost compared to the typical suburban layout?

[BridgeTroll]

The Japanese are great at creative uses of space.  My wife and I were driving through some town in northern Japan and stopped at a seemingly very small parking garage.  The attendant parked my car in a pie shaped wedge with a car on each side.  As I waited for the attendant to give me my keys back another car pulled up to park.  Clearly there were no more spaces.  The attendant pushed a button and the entire strutcure sank one level and turned a quarter turn revealing another empty spot.

The parking garage was a giant lazy susan for cars!  Gear driven to turn it on its axis and hydraulic to lift and lower.  Amazing!

[Lunican]

http://www.youtube.com/v/LV58r-yvdW0

[jason_contentdg]

The other thing that they've been doing is taking box stores: target, home depot, best buy and stacking them on top of each other and having them fed by parking garages.

[Dog Walker]

The Japanese have had to be very clever in their use of land because they have so little of it that is usable.  It is a very mountainous island nation with a huge population for its size.  One of the reasons for WWII was that Japan had run out of resources for its population and needed to expand into China and Southeast Asia for food and oil.

I forget the figure, but Japan's usable land is something less than 10% of the total area.

[Deuce]

We really should copy the Japenese when it comes to minimizing space. If developers won't take the lead then the feds need to step in and mandate it. As big brother as that sounds, it's absolutely horrible the way we just continue to develop open space until there's none left and only then consider density.

Look at that gas station. It's like the coolest gas station I've ever seen and it's just a freaking gas station.

[Lunican]

Most of the land in this country should have been set aside as preserves.

[Traveller]

In the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, there is a gas station built beneath a Methodist church.  Some locals still refer to the the church as "Our Lady of St. Exxon", although the station is now operated by Chevron.

[BridgeTroll]

Thanks Lunican!  Great find.  The one I described was very similar.  Your video is probably a more modern version of the multi level lazy susan that I parked in.

[Deuce]

I know that station in Rosslyn! I used to drive by it all the time. I always thought that was a cool station and what a great way for the church to get revenue. I think the same thing should be done to the Shell at Union & Main. Build a mixed use complex overhead and reconfigure the gas station underneath.

[JaxNative68]

When I lived in the DC area, we used to refer to that gas station as the burning hell below heaven.

I wonder if there is enough holy water in the church to douse any potential fire from below.

[fsu813]

btw, those gas stations have been around for a loooong time. at least 10 years. south korea has a bunch too.

[Atari007]

btw, those gas stations have been around for a loooong time. at least 10 years. south korea has a bunch too.

It looks just like the station in "Attack the Gas Station".   Pretty cool Korean movie if anyone gets a chance to see it.