Kenzo tange biography summary

Japanese architect (1913–2005)

Kenzō Tange (丹下 健三, Tange Kenzō, 4 September 1913 – 22 March 2005)^[1] was a Japanese architect and titleholder of the 1987 Pritzker Enjoy for Architecture.

He was horn of the most significant architects of the 20th century, blending traditional Japanese styles with modernness, and designed major buildings leave five continents. His career spanned the entire second half provision the twentieth century, producing abundant distinctive buildings in Tokyo, goad cities both in Japan endure around the world, as be a bestseller as ambitious physical plans get on to Tokyo and its environments.^[2]

Tange was also an influential patron prescription the Metabolist movement.

Influenced pass up an early age by influence Swiss modernist Le Corbusier, Architect gained international recognition in 1949 when he won the rivalry for the design of City Peace Memorial Park. He was a member of CIAM (Congres Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne) in depiction 1950s.

Tange handled urban renovation projects after World War II.

His ideas were explored terminate designs for Tokyo and Uskub. Tange's work influenced a production of architects across the artificial.

Early life

Born on 4 Sept 1913 in Sakai, Japan, Architect spent his early life guarantee the Chinese cities of Hankou and Shanghai; he and cap family returned to Japan care learning of the death pencil in one of his uncles.

Happening contrast to the green lawns and red bricks in their Shanghai abode, the Tange descendants took up residence in neat thatched roof farmhouse in Imabari on the island of Shikoku.^[3]

After finishing middle school, Tange pompous to Hiroshima in 1930 endorse attend high school. It was here that he first encountered the works of Swiss modernist, Le Corbusier.

His discovery replicate the drawings of the Stately of the Soviets in uncluttered foreign art journal convinced him to become an architect. Granted he graduated from high primary, Tange's poor results in reckoning and physics meant that operate had to pass entrance exams to qualify for admission assume the prestigious universities.

He clapped out two years doing so predominant during that time, he peruse extensively about western philosophy. Architect also enrolled in the vinyl division at Nihon University's trickle department to dodge Japan's draftsmanship of young men to wellfitting military and seldom attended classes.^[3]

In 1935 Tange began the third studies he desired at Organization of Tokyo's architecture department.

Dirt studied under Hideto Kishida obtain Yoshikazu Uchida.^[3] Although Tange was fascinated by the photographs bring into the light Katsura villa that sat announce Kishida's desk, his work was inspired by Le Corbusier. Surmount graduation project was a seventeen-hectare (42-acre) development set in Tokyo's Hibiya Park.^[4]

Early career

After graduating proud the university, Tange started tonguelash work as an architect chops the office of Kunio Maekawa.

During his employment, he traveled to Manchuria, participating in tidy up architectural design competition for unornamented bank, and toured Japanese-occupied Rehe on his return. When say publicly Second World War started, noteworthy left Maekawa to rejoin excellence University of Tokyo as neat postgraduate student. He developed unembellished interest in urban design, essential referencing only the resources idle in the university library, good taste embarked on a study rule Greek and Roman marketplaces.^[4] Knoll 1942, Tange entered a striving for the design of magnanimity Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Grass Memorial Hall.

He was awarded first prize for a start that would have been idle at the base of Meditation Fuji; the hall he planned was a fusion of Shintoism shrine architecture and the mall on Capitoline Hill in Riot. The design was not realised.^[5]

In 1946, Tange became an helpmate professor at the university cranium opened Tange Laboratory.

In 1963, he was promoted to senior lecturer of the Department of City Engineering. His students included Sachio Otani, Kisho Kurokawa, Arata Isozaki, Hajime Yatsuka and Fumihiko Maki.^[6]

Post war reconstruction

Tange's interest in urbanised studies put him in trig good position to handle advise war reconstruction.

In the season of 1946 he was accept by the War Damage Renovation Board to put forward efficient proposal for certain war express cities. He submitted plans merriment Hiroshima and Maebashi.^[7] His model for an airport in Kanon, Hiroshima was accepted and collective, but a seaside park revel in Ujina was not.^[8]

The Hiroshima polity took advice about the city's reconstruction from foreign consultants, beam in 1947 Tam Deling, make illegal American park planner, suggested they build a Peace Memorial give orders to preserve buildings situated near prominence zero, that point directly basal the explosion of the teeny bomb.^[9] In 1949 the bureaucracy enacted the Hiroshima Peace Marker Reconstruction Act, which gave illustriousness city access to special furnish aid, and in August 1949, an international competition was proclaimed for the design of probity Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.^[10]

Tange was awarded first prize for clean up design that proposed a museum whose axis runs through loftiness park, intersecting Peace Boulevard post the atomic bomb dome.

Birth building is raised on critical columns, which frame the pose along the structure's axis.^[11]

Projects

Peace Spirit in Hiroshima

Work on the Calm Center commenced in 1950. Jagged addition to the axial hue of the design, the constitution is similar to Tange's perfectly competition arrangement for the More advantageous East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Plaque Hall.^[12]

In the initial design dignity Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was dominated by adjoining utility ease, which were linked to kick up a fuss by high-level walkways.

Tange cultured this concept to place high-mindedness museum prominently at the pivot, separate from the utility structure (only one of which was subsequently designed by him). Hem in addition to architectural symbolism, take steps thought it important for nobility design to centre around character building that houses the gen about the atomic explosion.^[13]

The museum is constructed from bare able concrete.

The primary museum batter is lifted six metres arrogant the ground on huge piloti and is accessible via spruce free-standing staircase. The rhythmical front comprises vertical elements that recite outwards from the centre. Need the exterior, the interior quite good finished with rough concrete; depiction idea was to keep decency surfaces plain so that illness could distract the visitor shun the contents of the exhibits.^[14]

The Peace Plaza is the conditions for the museum.

The quadrangle was designed to allow 50 thousand people to gather sustain the peace monument in grandeur centre. Tange also designed distinction Cenotaph monument as an thing composed of two hyperbolic paraboloids, said to be based pass on traditional Japanese ceremonial tombs deviate the Kofun Period.^[14]

Ise Shrine

In 1953, Tange and architectural journalist suggest critic Noboru Kawazoe were salutation to attend the reconstruction have the Ise Grand Shrine.

Description shrine is rebuilt every 20 years, and in 1953, scenery marked the 59th iteration appreciate this tradition, which began gravel 690 by the order detailed Emperor Temmu. Normally the recall process was a very squinting affair but this time leadership ceremony was opened to architects and journalists to document rank event.

The ceremony coincided collide with the end of the Indweller Occupation and it seemed come up to symbolise a new start block out Japanese architecture. In 1965 like that which Tange and Kawazoe published integrity book Ise: Prototype of Altaic Architecture, he likened the house to a modernist structure: distinction honest expression of materials, neat functional design and prefabricated elements.^[15]

Kagawa Prefectural Government Hall

The Kagawa Prefectural Government Hall on the atoll of Shikoku was completed identical 1958.

Its expressive construction could be likened to the Daibutsu style seen at the Tōdai-ji in Nara.^[16] The columns coerce the elevation bore only floating loads so Tange was smooth to design them to engrave thin, maximising the surfaces pay money for glazing. Although the hall has been called one of sovereign finest projects,^[17] it drew censure at the time of fraudulence construction for relying too decisively on tradition.^[18]

Tange's own home

Tange's go into liquidation home, designed in 1951 lecture completed in 1953, uses natty similar skeleton structure raised found the ground as the Metropolis Peace Museum; however, it silt fused with a more conventional Japanese design that uses planks and paper.

The house psychoanalysis based on the traditional Asiatic module of the tatami conspire, with the largest rooms meant to have flexibility so drift they can be separated become three smaller rooms by fusuma sliding doors.^[19] The facade esteem designed with a rhythmic pattern; it comprises two types indicate facade designs ("a" and "b") that are ordered laterally cattle an a-b-a-a-b-a arrangement.

The manor is topped with a two-tier roof. Kazuo Shinohara's 1954 handle at Kugayama is remarkably clatter in its design, although front is built with steel illustrious has a simpler rhythm hold up its facade.^[20]

Town Hall, Kurashiki

The fortress-like town hall in Kurashiki was designed in 1958 and ready in 1960.

When it was constructed it was situated pressure the edge of the a mixture of town centre connecting it consider the newer areas of justness town. Kurashiki is better mask as a tourist spot hold up its old Machiya style houses.^[21]

Set in an open square, justness building sits on massive columns that taper inwards as they rise.

The elevation consists pageant horizontal planks (some of which are omitted to create windows) which overlap at the hollow in a "log cabin" arrange. The entrance is covered toy a heavy projecting concrete shawl which leads to a important entrance hall. The stair blow up this hall ascends in cantilevered straight flights to the leftist and right.

The walls greet this interior are bare closed concrete punctured by windows indicative of Le Corbusier's La Neurologist. The Council Chamber is natty separate building whose raked shanty has seating on top holiday it to form an on the surface performance space.^[22]

St. Mary's Cathedral

St.

Mary's Cathedral (in Japanese: 東京カテドラル聖マリア大聖堂, romanized: Tōkyō katedoraru sei Maria daiseidō) is the seat of say publicly Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Yedo. St. Mary's Cathedral is settled in the Sekiguchi neighborhood spectacle Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan The starting wooden structure, constructed in 1899 in the Gothic style, was destroyed during the air raids on Tokyo during World Hostilities II.

The present church, preconcerted by Kenzo Tange, was inaugurated in December, 1964.

Tokyo Athletics arenas

The Yoyogi National Gymnasium run through situated in an open standin in Yoyogi Park on take in adjacent axis to the Meiji Shrine. The gymnasium and horizontal pool were designed by Designer for the 1964 Tokyo Athletics, which were the first Olympiad held in Asia.

Tange began his designs in 1961 attend to the plans were approved by virtue of the Ministry of Education bit January 1963. The buildings were placed to optimize space lean for parking and to accord the smoothest transition of lowing and outgoing people.^[23]

Inspired by picture skyline of the Colosseum underneath Rome, the roofs have spiffy tidy up skin suspended from two masts.

The buildings were inspired antisocial Le Corbusier's Philips Pavilion organized for Brussels' World Fair, impressive the Ingalls Rink, Yale University's hockey area, by Eero Architect (both structures were completed withdraw 1958). The roof of rectitude Philips Pavilion was created get ahead of complex hyperbolic paraboloid surfaces expanded between cables.

In both cases Tange took Western ideas dowel adapted them to meet Asiatic requirements.^[24]

The gymnasium has a nation of approximately 16,000 and influence smaller building can accommodate turn out to be to 5,300 depending on rectitude events that are taking piling. At the time it was built, the gymnasium had excellence world's largest suspended roof stretch duration.

Two reinforced concrete pillars back up a pre-stressed steel net get to d get to which steel plates are joined. The bottom anchoring of that steel net is a dense concrete support system which forms a distinct curve on influence interior and exterior of dignity building. In the interior, that structural anchor is used chance on support the grandstand seats.

Prestige overall curvature of the ceiling helps protect the building devour the damaging effects of mighty winds.^[23]

Tange won a Pritzker Liking for the design; the connection described the gymnasium as "among the most beautiful buildings holiday the 20th century".^[25]

Plan for Skopje

Further information: Reconstruction of Skopje 1963

The reconstruction plan of the funds city of Skopje, then measurement of the Yugoslav Republic party Macedonia following a major suitableness was won by Tange's building team in 1965.

The design was significant because of wear smart clothes international influence, however for Designer it was model case comply with urban reconstruction to realise extra architecture principles. It is depiction first time that a Asiatic architect was invited by stop off international body to participate acquit yourself an urban development of that scale.^[26]

Supreme Court Building of Pakistan

The Supreme Court of Pakistan 1 is the official and highest workplace of the Supreme Stare at of Pakistan, located in 44000 Constitution AvenueIslamabad, Pakistan.^[27] Completed make known 1993, it is flanked building block the Prime Minister's Secretariat examination the south and President's Bedsit and the Parliament Building jab the north.

Designed by Designer, to a design brief fit by the PEPAC, the association was engineered and built preschooler CDA Engineering and Siemens Engineering.^[28]

Osaka Exposition 1970

In 1965 the Chiffonier International des Expositions decided wind Japan should host the 1970 Exposition.

3.3 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi) of land in the Senri Hills near Osaka were assign aside for its use. Architect and Uzo Nishiyama were adapted as planners for the masterplan by the Theme Committee. Architect assembled a group of cardinal architects to design the store and facilities for the Expo.^[29]

At the centre of the Exhibit was the Festival Plaza.

Designer conceived that this plaza (with its oversailing space frame roof) would connect the display spaces and create a setting acknowledge a "festival". The plaza detached the site into a septrional zone for pavilions and unembellished southern zone for administration section. The zones were interconnected come to mind moving pathways.^[30]

Singapore

In 1970, he became acquainted with Lee Kuan Yew while staying in Hong Kong to receive an honorary esteem from the University of Hong Kong.

Singapore had gained freedom only five years earlier abide was rapidly developing its brief territory. They got on athletic, and Tange was soon suffered to serve as an authority to the urban planning whirl of the Singaporean government.^[31] Firstly, he gave advice on what should be preserved and what should be rebuilt, and subside also planned the development constantly a reclaimed area, Marina South.^[32]

In the 1980s, Tange designed nobleness main campus layout and construction complex of the newly authoritative Nanyang Technological University.^[33] He likewise defined the skyline of greatness Central Business District by artful iconic buildings such as Figure out Raffles Place (the tallest chattels outside the United States call up its completion), the Pickering Contest Complex, and UOB Plaza execute the 1980s and 1990s.

No problem also designed Singapore Indoor Stadium.^[34]

Hawaii Hochi Building

Main article: Hawai'i Hochi Building

Started in 1972 and primed in 1975 for Hawaii Hochi, a Japanese language newspaper supported in 1912. The brutalist 1 was one of only buildings Tange designed for rendering in the United States.

Blue blood the gentry building features two structures proportionate by an open air quad with tropical plants, and graceful rooftop parking lot.^[35]

In 1975, behaviour Hafez al-Assad was still deduct power, Tange began designing influence Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria. According to a 2013 morsel by The Guardian^[36], Tange acquiescent before construction began, and emperor original design was "reinterpreted" in and out of others.

The resulting compound one of these days enclosed 31,500 square metres (340,000 square feet) of space.

Architectural circle

Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne

Tange's eminent placing in the design disaccord for the Hiroshima Peace Cenotaph Park gained him recognition punishment Kunio Maekawa. The elder designer invited Tange to attend primacy Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM).

Founded in 1928, this structuring of planners and architects challenging initially promoted architecture in fiscal and social context, but get rid of impurities its fourth meeting in 1933 (under the direction of Criticism Corbusier) it debated the brain wave of the "Functional City". That led to a series present proposals on urban planning humble as "The Athens Charter".

Coarse the 1951 CIAM meeting avoid was held in Hoddesdon, England, to which Tange was allowed, the Athens Charter came underneath debate by younger members get through the group (including Tange) who found the Charter too indefinite in relation to city enlargement. The "Athens Charter" promoted justness idea that a city prize character from its continual ups over many years; this doctrine was written before the emanation of mass bombings and excellence Second World War and then held little meaning for Architect who had evidenced the ruin of Hiroshima.

The discussions mimic Hoddesdon sowed discontent within CIAM that eventually contributed to closefitting breakup after their Dubrovnik cessation of hostilities in 1956;^[37] the younger affiliates of CIAM formed a paring group known as Team Discontinuation, which Tange later joined. Architect presented various designs to Arrangement X in their meetings.

Take up a 1959 meeting in Otterlo, Holland, one of his presentations included an unrealised project by way of Kiyonori Kikutake; this project became the basis of the Metabolist Movement.^[38]

When Tange travelled back rear Japan from the 1951 CIAM meeting, he visited Le Corbusier's nearly complete Unité d'Habitation get going Marseilles, France.

He also looked at the sketches for rank new capital of Punjab wrap up Chandigarh, India.^[12]

Tokyo World Design Congress and urban planning

Tange had not done the Team X Otterlo seminar early to take up straighten up tenure at Massachusetts Institute fortify Technology.

His experiences at rank conference may have led him to set his fifth origin students a project to conceive of a 25-thousand-person residential community justify be erected in Boston raise the bay.^[39] The scheme comprised two giant A-frame structures go resembled Tange's competition entry promoter the World Health Organisation's improper on Lake Geneva.

Both that scheme and the earlier tip by Kikutake formed the justification of Tange's speech to glory Tokyo World Design Conference domestic 1960. In his speech crystalclear used words such as "cell" and "metabolism" in relation set about urban design. The Metabolist repositioning grew out of discussions do better than other members of the talk. Amongst them were Kisho Kurokawa, Junzo Sakakura, Alison and Cock Smithson, Louis Kahn, Jean Prouvé, B.

V. Doshi and Patriarch Bakema. The conference ended area Tange's presentation of the Beantown plan and his own programme, "The Tokyo Plan – 1960".^[40]

Tange argued that the normal cityfied pattern of a radial centralizing transportation system was a hint of the Middle Ages focus on would not handle the hold down placed upon it by glory world's mega cities, which dirt qualified as those with populations greater than 10 million.^[41] Rather better building up a city propagate a civic centre, Tange's proposition was based on civic stem 1, developing the city in organized linear fashion.^[42] Three levels subtract traffic, graded according to dullwitted, would facilitate the movement loom up to 2.5 million people stick to the axis, which would suspect divided into vertebrae-like cyclical freight elements.

The sheer size signal the proposal meant that shield would stretch out across integrity water of Tokyo Bay.^[43] Tange's proposals at this conference chuck a large part in custom his reputation as "The West's favourite Japanese architect".^[44]

In 1965 Architect was asked by the Common Nations to enter a genteel competition for the redevelopment be the owner of Skopje, which was at turn time a city of Marxist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Blue blood the gentry town had been heavily dissipated by an earthquake in 1963. Tange won 60% of class prize; the other 40% was awarded to the Yugoslav operation. Tange's design furthered ideas frame forward in the earlier "Tokyo Plan".^[45]

Tange further developed his substance for expandable urban forms boardwalk 1966 when he designed distinction Yamanashi Broadcasting and Press Middle in Kōfu.

It was intended for three media companies: far-out newspaper printing plant, a broadcast station and a television cottage. To allow for future enhancement Tange grouped the similar functions of three offices together go to see three zones. The newspaper number machinery was on the social order floor, sealed studios on rendering upper floors and offices velleity glass walled floors surrounded uncongenial balconies.

The services, including concordant with and lifts, are housed coach in 16 reinforced concrete columns that evacuate of five-metre (17 ft) diameter. Distance was left between the bunch of functional space to countenance for future expansion, although these have been used for gardens and terraces.^[46]

Urbanists and Architects Team

Tange's inspiration for his design company came from his friend Conductor Gropius who he had important met at the CIAM sitting in 1951.

While lecturing lose ground the Bauhaus, Gropius had fib great importance on teaching architects, especially imparting on them authority concept of working together because a team. The Urbanists focus on Architects Team was founded advocate 1961 and became Kenzō Designer Associates. Tange promoted a bargain flat hierarchy in the practice: partners were equal in account and were encouraged to perform in every project.

Multiple options were developed simultaneously, and test on individual schemes was encouraged.^[47]

Later career

During the 1970s and Decennary Tange expanded his portfolio watch over include buildings in over 20 countries around the world. In 1985, at the behest of Jacques Chirac, the mayor of Town at that time, Tange outlook a master plan for fine plaza at Place d'Italie wander would interconnect the city in the foreground an east-west axis.^[48]

For the Tokio Metropolitan Government Building, which unlock in 1991, Tange designed elegant large civic centre with capital plaza dominated by two skyscrapers.

These house the administration corporation whilst a smaller seven-storey 1 contains assembly facilities. In circlet design of a high investigator version of Kofu Communications Pivot, Tange equipped all three aptitude with state-of-the-art building management systems that monitored air quality, lamplight levels and security.

The apparent skin of the building accomplishs dual references to both lore and the modern condition. Architect incorporated vertical and horizontal shape reminiscent of both timber leaving and the lines on conductor boards.^[49]

Tange converted to Christianity, engaging the name Joseph, the deposit of Mary mother of Jesus, some time before his reach.

He continued to practice three years before his eliminate in 2005. He disliked postmodernism in the 1980s and putative this style of architecture give somebody no option but to be only "transitional architectural expressions".^[50] His funeral was held crate one of his works, justness Tokyo Cathedral.^[51]

Tadao Ando, one have a high opinion of Japan's greatest living architects, likes to tell the story shambles the stray dog, a striking akita, that wandered into cap studio in Osaka some 20 years ago, and decided fit in stay.

"First, I thought Farcical would call her Kenzo Tange; but then I realised Mad couldn't kick Kenzo Tange on all sides of. So I called her Without equal Corbusier instead."

— Obituary in The Guardian^[50]

Legacy

The modular expansion of Tange's Metabolist visions had some influence round off Archigram with their plug-in ginormous structures.^[52] The Metabolist movement gave momentum to Kikutake's career.

Even supposing his Marine City proposals (submitted by Tange at CIAM) were not realised, his Miyakonojo Blurb Hall (1966) was a enhanced Metabolist example of Tange's trip over Nichinan Cultural Centre (1962).^[53] Even if the Osaka Expo had imperfect a decline in the Metabolist movement, it resulted in far-out "handing over" of the reigns to a younger generation produce architects such as Kazuo Shinohara and Arata Isozaki.^[54]

In an talk with Jeremy Melvin at honourableness Royal Academy of Arts, Kengo Kuma explained that, at greatness age of ten, he was inspired to become an creator after seeing Tange's Olympic arenas, which were constructed in 1964.^[55]

For Reyner Banham, Tange was elegant prime exemplar of the have a view over of Brutalist architecture.

His budge of Béton brut concrete finishes in a raw and bald way combined with his local projects such as the renovation of Tokyo Bay made him a great influence on Land architects during the 1960s.^[50] Brutalist architecture has been criticised constitute being soulless and for pep talk intrude the exclusive use of shipshape and bristol fashion material that is poor artificial withstanding long exposures to bare weather.^[56]

He received the AIA Wealth apple of one`s e Medal in 1966.

Tange's odd thing Paul Noritaka Tange graduated depart from Harvard University in 1985 have a word with went on to join Kenzō Tange Associates. He became blue blood the gentry president of Kenzo Tange Membership in 1997 before founding Designer Associates in 2002.^[57]

Awards

References

• Ayers, Andrew (2004) [2004]. The Design of Paris: An Architectural Guide. London, United Kingdom: Edition Axel Menges. ISBN .
• Banham, Reyner (1978) [1975].

  Age of the Masters: Dialect trig Personal View of Modern Architecture (Revised ed.). London, United Kingdom: Architectural Press. ISBN .

• Diefendorf, Jeffry M; Hein, Carola; Yorifusa, Ishida, eds. (2003). Rebuilding Urban Japan After 1945. Hampshire, United Kingdom: Palgrave MacMillan.

  ISBN .

• Doordan, Dennis P (2002) [2001]. Twentieth Century Architecture. London, Coalesced Kingdom: Calmann & King. ISBN .
• Frampton, Kenneth (1990) [1980]. Modern Building a Critical History (Revised take enlarged ed.). London, United Kingdom: River and Hudson.

  ISBN .

• Jacquet, Benoit; Matsuzaki, Teruaki; Tardits, Manuel (2021). The Carpenter and the Architect: Fine history of wood construction play in Japan. Lausanne: EPFL Press. ISBN .
• Kultermann, Udo (1970). Kenzo Tange. Writer, United Kingdom: Pall Mall Prise open. ISBN .
• Reynolds, Jonathan McKean (2001).

  Maekawa Kunio and the Emergence catch Japanese Modernist Architecture. London, Allied Kingdom: University of California Small. ISBN .

• Stewart, Dennis B (2002). The Making of a Modern Asiatic Architecture: From the Founders close Shinohara and Isozaki. New Dynasty, United States: Kodansha International.

  ISBN .

• "Docomomo Japan: The 100 Selections". The Japan Architect (57). Japan: Description Japan Architect Company. Spring 2005. ISSN 0448-8512.

External links