KENZO TANGE

ABOUT THE ARCHITECT

• Kenzō Tange, 4 September 1913 – 22 March 2005) was a Japanese

architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture.
• Teacher, writer, architect, and urban planner, he is revered not only for
his own work but also for his influence on younger architects.
• He was one of the most significant architects of the 20th century,
combining traditional Japanese styles with modernism, and designed
major buildings on five continents.
• Influenced from an early age by the Swiss modernist, Le Corbusier,
Tange gained international recognition in 1949 when he won the
competition for the design of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
PHILOSOPHY
• 3 Elements and 6 golden rules (His Beliefs)
• Tange says there are 3 ELEMENTS that can be used to express a new style of
architecture which is match better consistently. Those are Human, emotion, and sensual
elements which are smart tech and space structure.
• Whereas there are 6 GOLDEN RULES an architect must follow according to tange:
1.Simplicity in plan and form.
2. Typification. One must interpret technical and engineering solutions through the
eyes of an artist before implementation.
3. Strength. Architecture should insist, it should be bold rather than weak.
4. Ornament. This is useful when it holds 1) a symbolic meaning and 2) can be
understood by most people.
5. Honesty to materials.
6. Elimination of Furyu*. Eliminate the meaningless prettiness.

*Furyu is a Japanese word means graceful

PHILOSOPHY

• Greatly influenced by japans traditional architecture( based on nature’s

philosophy)
• Multifunctioning
• Believed in fusion of traditional and modern architecture after1960s.
• Includes city should be able to born, grow, decay , and die.
• Justification of function and design.
• Fundamentally rational and functional.
• Appealing to emotions and senses.
• Structural approach
• Distinguish soft and hard environment
• Le Corbusier five main points are also included in Tange’s philosophy
 Pilotis Ribbon Glazing
 Open plan Free facade
 Roof garden
“Architecture must have something that
appeals to the human heart. Creative work is
expressed in our time as a union of technology
and humanity”
—KENZO TANGE
 FAMOUS BUILIDNGS
YOYOGI NATIONAL
01 GYMNASIUM
Tokyo

02 SHINJUKU COCOON BUILDING

Tokyo

03 ST. MARY CATEDRAL

Tokyo

04 HIROSHIMA PEACE MEMORIAL MUSEUM

Hiroshima, japan
KENZO TANGE’S RESIDENCE/ VILLA
05 SEIJO
Tokyo, japan

06 KURASHIKI CITYHALL
Japan
YOYOGI NATIONAL
GYMNASIUM
 YOYOGI NATIONAL GYMNASIUM
• PURPOSE - 1964 Summer Olympic Games
• LOCATION - Tokyo, Japan
• TIME - 1961-1964
• TYPE - Sports Stadium
• SITE AREA - 34.204 hectare
• CLIMATE - Temperate
• STYLE - Modern Construction
• MATERIALS - Concrete, Steel and Cables

CONCEPT
• Form of two semi-circular circles , slightly displayed in relation to one
another.
• With their unconnecting ends elongated into points ; almost looks like snail.
• Union of western technology and traditional Japanese pagoda
• It was worlds most daring structures that radiated both boldness and
YOYOGI NATIONAL GYMNASIUM
serenity which gave sensation of spatial manifestation.
• Hybridization of Western Modernist aesthetics and traditional Japanese
Architecture
• Influenced by le Corbusier Philip’s pavilion and eero Saarinen’s hockey
stadium at Yale university.
• TANGE became intrigued with structure and its tensile and geometric
potential.
• DESIGN: Organic , functional and dynamic.
• Kenzo tange won Pritzker price for his design( historic revolutional
design Japanese rise)

Major Parts of structure

Organic form of structure


• The gymnasiums low profile and
sweeping roof forms some semblance to
that of an abstracted Japanese pagoda.
YOYOGI NATIONAL GYMNASIUM
• STRUCTURAL DESIGN: creates dramatic
sweeping curves that appear to drape from two
large, central supporting cables.
• The dynamically suspended roof and rough
materials form one of the most iconic building
profiles in the world.
• The subtle curves of the structural cables, the
sweeping roof plane, and the curving concrete
base seem to emerge from the site appearing as
one integrated entity.
• Structure : tensile and geometric potential
• Main criteria behind curved roof : resist wind
(Hurricane Force)
• Concave structure with inverted dome.
• Steel tension cables (13” dia) extended beyond the
concrete piles to be suspended in center and side
spans
• Concrete pre-stressed anchor block.
• Roof supported of two super pylons.
• Central space – 120m X 125m with no supports .
• The structural system resembles a snails shell
 YOYOGI NATIONAL GYMNASIUM

• ROOFING : wooden plate and aluminium decking .

• MATERIAL: concrete , metal and steel to achieve dynamic
and sculptural forms.
• The building can accommodate upto 16,000 people.
• Kenzo takes advantage of the gap between the two curves to
propose imposing triangular access.
• Visual lightness to structure is cantilevers containing the
stands.
• These stands also accommodate the rhythemically arranged
openings .
• It is beautifully integrated into the landscape.
• Kenzo tange won PRITZKER Price for his revolutional
design which saw japan rise.
SHINJUKU COCOON
BUILDING
 SHINJUKU COCOON BUILDING

ABOUT IT ABOUT IT
It is home to a
Site area :5,172.27 ㎡
fashion school, an
Building area :3,541.56 ㎡
IT school, and a
Total floor area :80,865.40 ㎡
medical services
Number of stories :50 stories
school.
Height :203.65m

CONCEPT IDEA
Cocoon-like Student occupants
shape are inspired to grow
symbolizes and transform
nurturing the within the cocoon
students like form
inside.
 SHINJUKU COCOON BUILDING

EXTERIOR INTERIOR DESIGN

The building’s elliptic The interior is actually composed
shape, wrapped in cris of three towers, each of which
cross web of diagonal creates the identity of the three
lines schools, Fashion & Design,
Medical Care & Welfare, and
Technology & Design.
Each floor of the tower
contains three rectangular
classrooms that surround an
inner core. The inner core
consists of an elevator, a
staircase and a support shaft.
 SHINJUKU COCOON BUILDING
AUDITORIU
SHAPE DESIGN M
The low rise building, an
The elliptical shape allows for The design connects the towers egg shaped structure,
even distribution of sunlight. by corridors and creates open houses two major
The shape also ensures that it spaces that provide visual auditoriums. The halls are
aerodynamically disperses connectivity used for public functions.
strong wind streams.
ST. MARY CATHEDRAL ,
TOKYO
LOCATION
• The Tokyo Cathedral has been
3-15-16 Sekiguchi, completed in 1964 replacing the old
Bunkyo- ku Tokyo Japan wooden cathedral, in gothic style,
burnt during wartime.

Completed - 1961 - 1964 • Tange conceived the new church as a

Renovated - 2007 concrete structure, simple in concept
and complex in shape, which recalls the
lightness of a bird and its wings.

COVERED AREA
3,650 sq m • CONCEPT
• Following his term "metabolism", designed
the cathedral as a living entity that should
SITE AREA transcend beyond the borders of Japan to
become an architecture used for all peoples,
15,098 m2
combining technology and humanity, rising
above the mundane and inspiration for getting
construction in many of the Gothic churches
MATERIAL USED that Tange visited on that occasion.
stone , concrete , steel
• THE EIGHT WALLS :
• the elements which hold the whole
structure at the same time roof and
walls enclosing the space and
opening to the outside through
vertical gaps.

• The walls are curved hyperbolically to express the tension to the sky,
and turning the rhomboidal ground floor into a cross at the roof top.
• The different heights of the wings, asymmetrical, make it a dynamic
shape on the sky background. The highest wing is 39,41 m high
• Ground floor
In 2541.4 meters square, the Cathedral has a capacity for
600 people seated and 2000 standing.
• 2nd Floor and 3rd Floor
The second and third floor of 71 square meters respectively
and 32 are devoted almost entirely to tasks related to the
body, its operation and maintenance.
INTERIOR THE BELL TOWER
On a concrete base shaped like a Latin cross walls rise high reaffirming
Like many European cathedrals, the bell tower of the cathedral of St.
the design of the plant and which are deployed eight hyperbolic
Mary is not in the same temple, but a few meters. It stands majestically
parables that support the roof of the cathedral and leading to four main
showing its 60 meters high and its walls of concrete also apparent and
facades.
aesthetically integrated with the whole complex, housing four bells were
The structure consists of eight curved panels together and upright
brought from West Germany.
almost vertically

MATERIALS
The exterior surfaces of the cathedral are lined with sheets of
galvanized aluminum and stainless steel frames and supported by
iron bolts, while the back wall of reinforced concrete to be in sight,
feature the works of the architect.
 BAPTISTERY
Located in the crypt of the
ALTAR church, to the right of the
• Holly cross
At the high sanctuary is the entrance.
altar itself, the music and The baptism itself is the form
of an open hand that receives
the venue for the priest, this the light from
area is accessed by some above.
stairs.

BODY
Above the main entrance
ACCESS
displays a balcony that has
Two high concrete walls that frame
been assigned to the
the four large windows indicate the
location of the body.
main entrance is located where a
large wooden door.

Spiral
stairway
• SPACES
• Spaces and doors made with its high walls deviate from the model of Japanese
temple, close to design a much more international diamond volume, although the
skirts of the roofs may have evoked some of the traditional Japanese architecture and
Buddhist temples or Zionists, with spacious roof falls.

• BASEMENT
In the basement of 1005.5 square meters, there is a small chapel
that can accommodate 200 seated and 100 standing, in addition to
numerous services relating to the activities of the temple.

• RESTORATION
Taisei Construction Co. along with and support of Tange
Associates in 2007 began the restoration of all parties, mainly
the roof that offered a further deterioration.
 HIROSHIMA PEACE
MEMORIAL MUSEUM

LOCATION
1-2 Nakajima- chō , Naka-ku,
Hiroshima, Japan
• It is a center part of the city.
• This area has been directly hit by the bomb.
• This building is raised on the pillars.

• Its structure is a framework of exposed concrete.

YEAR OF COMPLETION
1952 • Tange’s elevated the building on pilotis a common
technique of Le Corbusier

• He also look at Le Corbusier ribbon glazing to the extreme

COVERED AREA and
2848.1 sq meter • designed floor to ceiling window.

• Exposed of structure is in the reference to traditional

Japanese architecture
STRUCTURE
• This memorial has a seating capacity of 2500.
Reinforced Concrete
• It is the primary museum in the park dedicated to educating
visitors about the bomb.

• Structure is a framework of exposed concrete

• Complex as a whole has a monumental quality

• Building is raised up on pillars so the space is interpreted

As an extended of the open air, through which one may walk
about freely
KENZO TANGE’S
RESIDENCE/ VILLA SEIJO
KURASHIKI CITYHALL
 THANK
YOU
REFERENCES :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenz%C5%8D_Tange
https://www.archdaily.com/270043/happy-birthday-kenzo-tange
https://www.pritzkerprize.com/biography-kenzo-tange
https://www.archdaily.com/114435/ad-classics-st-mary-cathedral-kenzo-t
ange