In honor of the famous architect's birthday on September 4, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA decided to collect the top 5 of his most famous projects.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, 1952
The building of the main building of the museum is made of reinforced concrete and is raised six meters above the ground on huge supports. The space between the ground surface and the raised floor is meant to symbolize the human ability to rise from the ashes. The rhythmic facade consists of repeating vertical elements. Like the outside, the interior is decorated with rough concrete. The idea was that nothing could distract the visitor from the museum exposition related to the atomic bombing of Japan.
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tokyo, 1964
The new church was built on the site of a wooden Gothic church that burned down during the bombing of Tokyo. Structurally, the cathedral is a cross formed from eight hyperbolically curved walls. The exterior cladding is made of stainless steel, thanks to which the facades shine in the sun. The bell tower with a height of 61 m stands at a short distance from the main building.
Yoyogi National Stadium, Tokyo, 1964
The stadium was designed to host swimming competitions at the 1964 Summer Olympics. The main structural feature of the project is a suspended roof, fixed on two reinforced concrete supports and inspired by the outline of the Roman Colosseum. At the time the building was constructed, it was the world's largest span of a suspended roof. The general curvature of the roof helps protect the building from the destructive effects of strong winds. When Tange was awarded the Pritzker Prize, the committee called the stadium "one of the most beautiful buildings of the XNUMXth century."
Tokyo Municipality, 1991
The Tokyo municipality is an impressive complex of three buildings connected by narrow "bridges". A fan-shaped area formed in the center between them. The height of the main building is almost 243 meters: until 2007, it was the tallest building in Tokyo. At a height of 33 floors, it splits into two towers - North and South. Because of this shape, the building was dubbed the "Japanese Notre Dame". All buildings of the municipality are built according to special earthquake-resistant technologies, which will allow to withstand an 8-point earthquake.
Fuji Television Headquarters, Tokyo, 1996
The 25-story Fuji Television headquarters building consists of two towers connected by three enclosed walkways, the so-called "sky corridors," supported by four steel columns. These corridors help strengthen the overall structure, making it highly earthquake resistant. The central element of the building is a titanium ball with a diameter of 32 meters. Inside it is an observation deck, accessible to all who wish, from which an unobstructed view of Tokyo and Mount Fuji opens.
