A+u 19:10, 589

A+u 19:10, 589 Synopsis

Kenzo Tange's National Gymnasium for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics have been called the greatest building by the greatest architect of 20th century Japan This issue revisits the project's design through documents from the Kenzo Tange Archive recently restored at Harvard University Hand-drawn, technical drawings including plans, elevations, sections, and details are featured Interviews with Fumihiko Maki and Kengo Kuma who were both deeply impressed with the project, discuss their view on Tange's influence A selection of projects including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, St. Mary's Cathedral, and Kagawa Prefecture Government Building are also included The October 2019 issue showcases original drawings from the National Gymnasiums of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which are among the many items from the Kenzo Tange Archive recently restored at Harvard University. Treated with the same care as a restored painting, these technical drawings allow us to admire the tremendous detail of the architecture and understand the intention of the designers as they produced these lines. A series of viewpoints and commentaries by experts from Japan and abroad are presented, including interviews with Fumihiko Maki and Kengo Kuma. Classic Tange designs such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, St. Mary's Cathedral, and Kagawa Prefecture Government Building are also featured. The guest editor is Seng Kuan, who curated the exhibition 'Utopia Across Scales: Highlights from the Kenzo Tange Archive' held at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2009. Text in English and Japanese