Japan has mastered density: Density in cities, density in entertainment, density in culture, density in forests, density everywhere. Now they have created Namba Parks, a skyscraper that features eight stories of terraced greenery -- a fascinating example of an effort to erase the line between cities and nature. This project really redefines landscape architecture, and takes the idea of green roofs to the next level.

Namba Parks houses mall-like facilities as well as enough greenery to confuse the outdoor/indoor distinction. The architecture itself is pretty impressive, consisting of curvy shapes and exposed, airy structural compenents. Osakans can shop their worries away in a boutqiue-filled canyon, enjoy a “lifestyle center” (still not quite sure what that means), and then wander the rooftop gardens spotted with waterfalls and parks with ponds and terraces . The design itself looks alive, seeming to grow up out of the street, beckoning passer bys to stop and look.

As someone who hasn’t stepped into a mall since I was 16 (and may, in fact suffer from a mild phobia of them), I'd gladly make a trip to Japan just to check out this innovative project.