Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best
Architecture
Tokyo is forever under construction; there is always something new going up that
is taller, sleeker, and generally more dazzling than what existed before. It's fertile
ground for the country's architects, many of whom are among the most feted in
their world. The city's soaring towers, stunning museums and fanciful boutiques
will make architecture fans swoon.
Architecture Across the City
During the construction boom in the decades following WWII, Tokyo expanded to
the west and this is where you'll see more contemporary structures and the riot of
neon that has come to symbolise modern Tokyo. The east side is considered the
old city, though few truly old buildings remain. Still, in small pockets, such as
around Ueno and Asakusa, you can see some examples of the traditional wooden
structures that once defined Tokyo.
Contemporary Design
Tange Kenzō was the most prominent architect of the post-WWII years, creating
landmark structures such as the National Gymnasium in Yoyogi-kōen and the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices (
Click here
). Among Kenzō's contempor-
aries were the Metabolists Kurokawa Kishō and Maki Fumihiko, whose design
philosophy championed flexible spaces over fixed form.
A second wave of architects arrived in the 1980s and 1990s, who continue to ex-
plore both modernism and post-modernism, pushing forward while also drawing
on Japan's rich heritage. Names to know include Kuma Kengō and Pritzker Prize
winners Andō Tadao, SANAA (Sejima Kazuyo and Nishizawa Ryūe) and Itō Toyō.
