Curves amongst the corners.

Shinjuku's Cocoon Tower is a polarity amongst the right angles that surround it.

I’ve shot this building many times, and I’m sure every single tourist in the area has as well. Knowing this has helped me photograph the scene with a different mindset. So, I set out with black & white film and hopefully shot it differently than the usual transient iPhone or digital rig.

A must-see architectural landmark in West Shinjuku, the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower is known for its curved shape and crisscrossed white mesh that resembles a massive, you guessed it, cocoon. It is a “vertical campus” for fashion and design students, standing fifty stories tall. It’s definitely a great scene for photography, especially when contrasted with the nearby boxy office buildings. I’ve heard there’s an underground walkway from Shinjuku Station that leads to the high rise. However, I’ve never found it and I suppose that’s a whole other mission.

There are a few interesting spots to take a quick break inside the base of the tower. On the B1 level, there is a big Book 1st bookstore and a NewDays convenience store, which are open during school hours, so no ducking in for a sando in the evening or on Sundays.

And my favorite image from the session is the one below. I like how this film has given me some deep blacks and kept the midtones solidly in place.

I challenge you to photograph this building a bit differently than every other image of it you might see. Sure, there are those snaps that you need for posterity, but look deeper and find the curves and angles that someone else might not see.

Cocoon Tower, Shinjuku - Google Map

These images are shot on Kentmere Pan 200 ,pushed one stop, and developed at home with Kodak D-76.