YOYOGI

NATIONAL
GYMNASIUM
Kenzo Tange

Presented by-
Sreejoni Neogi
001810201011
Introduction
◦ For the first Olympics in Asia, the Ministry of
Education commissioned Kenzo Tange a “signature
architecture”, an outstanding building, which can be
used not only functional but also as visual marketing of
a country in economic progress.

◦ Since 1961, the architect, working closely with

engineers and Yoshikatsu Tsuboi Uichi Inue designed
spectacular two gyms in the Yoyogi park in Tokyo,
which are excellent and the main hub of a joint
Olympics.
About the architect – Kenzo Tange

◦ Kenzo Tange (丹下 健三 Tange Kenzō, September 4, 1913 – March 22, 2005)

◦ 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture

◦ Significant 20th century architect

◦ Member to Team X

◦ Leader in modernism, structuralism and metabolism movements

Location
◦ The Olympic complex is also known as
Yoyogi National Gymnasium, which is
adjacent to the park of that name and a green
area which is renowned in Tokyo, for hosting
the very popular Shinto Meiji Shrine and
close to station Harajuku.
Concept and aesthetics
◦ The main gym evokes a desert tent , but also seen in the
distance like a Japanese pagoda, which clearly
remembers the little shell of a snail.
◦ Aesthetics constructive shells suspended designed by
Felix Candela in Mexico, Mathew Nowicki in Raleigh,
North Carolina or Le Corbusier in the Philips Pavilion
at Expo 1958 in Brussels, is reinterpreted by Tange in
both buildings, but the architect not only reference to
this architectural model of the sixties, but reaffirmed
its willingness to favor the aesthetic effect of plastic
work, but after four decades, continues to fascinate
international critics, is far from constructive
approach, and that ” gyms “were not distinguished by
some shells to be optimized, but for a sublime aesthetic
idea.
Spaces
The Great Gym ( concerned roof model )

The Grand National Fitness Center contains an Olympic

pool in convertible track skating on ice and it is the main
runway.Access to the site are striking and impressive,
and are preceded by small squares before the sport,
serving as lobbyists.

The Little Gym

This stadium is home field for basketball and other ball

games.At this stage of a circular shape, the track is
displaced with respect to the circle formed by the
bleachers of the spectators, which gives it a way that
recalls a “snail”, is reinforced by the shift in direction of
the ring distribution outside. The layout of these plants
was made in light of the move from the public, both on
entry and their distribution in the interior later.
Structural system
◦ A central structural spine from where the structure Main cables
and roof originates is employed.

◦ Two large steel cables (13” in diameter) are supported

Structure tower
between two structural towers in addition to being
anchored into concrete supports on the ground.

◦ The suspended cables form a tensile tent-like roofing

structure; a series of pre-stressed cables are
suspended off of the two main cables that drape toward
the concrete structure that creates the base of the
gymnasium as well as providing the necessary
structure for the seating within the stadium.
Pull beam

Anchor
• Cables describe a parabolic curve (technically, it is
called catenary ) from which smaller wires are
placed perpendicularly, to form a tent-like roof.

• The roof over stands, having a different curvature

from that of the cables, generates an elegant and
graceful roofing structure, whose surface, concave
and convex at the same time, is always different from
any viewed angle (a mix of parbole and hyperbole,
again technically, is called a hyperbolic paraboloid .
Tange had already used this way in the monument of
the saddle in the Hiroshima Peace Park ).

Concrete
Pre stressed cables

Concrete

Multi frame
structure
 Drawings

Section AA’ B Section BB’

A A’

Plan B’ Sectional view

The point of interest in this
building is that it was the
largest suspended roof span
in the world. It’s
dynamically suspended roof
and rough materials form
one of the most iconic
building profiles in the
world.
Connections
Thank you