A major Japanese architect, whose heritage is priceless, has always been one of those people whose creativity is not limited by the national culture. An outstanding practitioner who designed unique buildings, connected together the oriental flavor with the unrestrained rhythm of modern Western life. Kenzo Tange is the successor and follower of the great Le Corbusier. He made a huge contribution to the development of modern architecture in Japan, and his masterpieces have become a role model for Americans and Europeans.
Japanese traditions and European experience
Born in 1913, the talented Japanese receives a special education at the University of Tokyo. Later, he studies the basics of architecture in the studio of the famous architect K. Maekawa
. It is curious that, born in a Japanese environment, he retains a great interest in the culture of Europe throughout his life. Despite Kenzo Tange's adherence to national traditions, his architecturalworks are enlarged. And such dimensions required new materials and structures, which allowed the buildings to survive on islands located in seismically hazardous areas. All skyscrapers created by a brilliant craftsman meet the requirements of reliability and follow the canons of traditional Japanese housing construction.
International recognition
The formation of the architect took place during the period of the defeat of the statehood of Japan, and his activity began in very difficult times for the people of the curtailment of peaceful construction. The architect receives international recognition as the author of the master plan for the restoration of the long-suffering Hiroshima after the atomic bombing by the American armed forces. During the revival of the city, wiped off the face of the earth, the idea arises of creating a memorial in the place where the small city suffered the most. Hiroshima is the corner where the genius spent his youth, and the terrible catastrophe became his personal tragedy: he lost his parents.
Memorial to the victims of the bombing
Architect Kenzo Tange, who won the competition, proposes a new interpretation of space. The appeared silver building is located on a gentle slope and rises above the ground, covering the courtyard with its "wings". And at the site of the explosion remains a void. The work of Japanese modernism reminds posterity of the fragility of human life, and the sounds of the funeral bell, breaking the silence, appeal to our memory. Everything is in a huge memorial with an ascetic museum room, the body of which seems to be floating in the air,permeated with sorrow and respect for the innocent victims.
The architectural ensemble was the first masterpiece of the creator, who brought something new to the development of architecture.
New ways of architecture development
The city's post-war rebuilding brings Kenzo Tanga world-wide fame. He becomes the master of the thoughts of creative youth, which forgets other leaders of architecture. Soon the young urban planner is invited to a congress in Great Britain. Although he remains an adherent of the ideas of modern architecture, the Japanese is always looking for new ways to develop it and strives for simplicity and functionality, bringing organic works to life.
The basis of his work is to create a multifunctional urban environment that can transform and grow.
Complex of sports facilities
The middle of the 60s of the last century becomes the heyday for a genius. Japan hosts the Olympics, and sports arenas are being built according to the projects of a talented creator, in which the main structure is a cable-stayed (hanging). The curved, non-cornered reinforced concrete roof evokes the spines of fantastic fish or the bottoms of capsized ships. Here, a synthesis of Japanese traditions and European experience is manifested. The futuristic ensemble, which has become an important element of nature, retains the spirit of a typical country garden with stone compositions and a cult of trees.
All buildings spawned inspacious picturesque park, perfectly complement each other, and the Olympic complex itself, which has gained great fame, is called the pinnacle of the master's career.
St. Mary's Cathedral (Tokyo)
In 1964, Kenzo Tange, whose projects are simple and complex at the same time, starts work on the cathedral. He designs a Catholic religious landmark in the form of an elongated Latin cross. The penetrating sunlight fills the temple with the divine blessing that the parishioners are so looking for. The walls of the architectural monument are curved and resemble inflating sails, the edges of which are raised. Curiously, no matter where the sun is, its rays always give the effect of a life-giving cross inside the structure.
The cathedral, built over 50 years ago, looks modern even now. Mystically attractive, it looks like a spaceship soaring into the sky. The gleaming stainless steel of the façade contrasts with the gray concrete used in the interior.
Rising from the ruins
In 1965, the elements de alt a crushing blow to the cozy Skopje - the capital of Macedonia. A powerful earthquake destroys the administrative center, and the UN announces a competition to create a city plan, which is won by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. A few years later, in the ruins, powerful concrete structures appear, designed by an outstanding architect who knows everything about building in a seismically dangerous zone.
Metabolism Mastermind
Japanese architecture becomes the world leader in innovative concepts. Architects who have developed a new direction (metabolism) see a living organism in the future building. The traditional philosophy of the country is combined with innovative ideas and the most modern materials. The main inspirer of the metabolists is recognized as an influential master who himself does not belong to this trend.
A bold experiment
Turned into a real patriarch of Japanese architecture, the classic designs the plan of the World Exhibition (EXPO-70). Kenzo Tange works in difficult conditions: he divides the territory with a very difficult hilly terrain and a strong slope into two parts with a giant pavilion, which he himself invented.
The main square of the event, which became the center of the composition, organized the rest of the space around itself, so it was no coincidence that it was covered with a thick roof. The multi-level territory turned out to be protected from the weather, and thus the impression of unity was created. An artificial lake was set up in the center of the exhibition, around which pavilions grew, and Japanese gardens were set up in the north.
City of the future
Next to the main entrance, the Tower of the Sun and the exhibition hall itself appeared, and under the roof there were three levels - underground, ground and air, which symbolized the past, present and future. It turned out to be an ideal city with its own infrastructure. Kenzo Tange hoped that after the event, the exhibition would become the basis for the emergence of a new settlement, but dreams are not destinedcame true.
However, the multi-level city of the future represented a truly global achievement and had a huge impact on European architecture. Japan impressed with the most daring experiments, which overshadowed everything that was created by other countries in terms of technical characteristics and special expressiveness. Since that time, the authority of Japanese architects has become indisputable.
Role Model
The architect of the future, Kenzo Tange, who passed away in 2005, created amazing masterpieces. Marked with good taste, they harmoniously fit into the landscape. Of course, most often the urbanist took precedence over the architect in the work of an outstanding master who was more fond of creating entire complexes that change the environment than single buildings.
The brilliant creator considered architectural works as a living organism and did everything to achieve harmony between the artificial environment and the natural environment. Kenzo Tange, in whose works his unique style is guessed, surprises with the subtlety of perception of the world. This is an amazing example of how a rebel, protesting against established traditions, has become a living classic and a role model for a new generation of urban planners. The 1987 Pritzker Prize winner developed many concepts that inspired the development of world architecture.
The main problem in the work of the Japanese is the social significance of the designed buildings and their impact onlife of people. He finds forms that appeal to hearts and touch the most secret strings of the soul.
