Author(s): Saikaku Toyokawa

JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE | TOTO

Designed by Kenzo Tange (1913–2005), the Yoyogi National Gymnasium was completed in 1964. It is situated in an open area in Tokyo and was built for the Olympic Games held that year. The iconic structure, with its elegantly curved roofs suspended from twin masts, is an architectural marvel. Inspired by the Coliseum in Rome, as well as by the architecture of Le Corbusier and Eero Saarinen, Tange adapted Western ideas to meet Japanese aesthetics. In this book, five viewpoints for evaluating the facility are examined in detail. Through the lens of Japanese modernism, it reveals how the structure was made, and how the gymnasium and swimming pool have been used and managed since.