Architect Kenzo Tange's Urban Design for Imabari's Future
Streets magazine Editors
September 23, 2024
This article has been automatically translated from the Japanese version.
Architect Kenzo Tange's Urban Design for Imabari's Future
The City Hall complex, located in the center of Imabari City, was designed by world-renowned architect Kenzo Tange. Tange's design was a project with the urban design of Imabari in mind.
Kenzo Tange, Architect
Imabari City Hall left by Kenzo Tange
The main building of the City Hall is located in the center of Imabari City. The Imabari City Public Hall, Imabari Civic Hall, and City Hall Annex are all located on the same site, creating a unified urban space. These buildings were designed by Kenzo Tange, a world-renowned postwar Japanese architect. He was commissioned to design the city hall because he spent his elementary and junior high school years in Imabari, his father's hometown, and completed the building in 1958. These buildings, which are still in use today, are highly regarded in the architectural world as a group of city halls designed by Kenzo Tange.
Imabari City Hall Main Building
Urban Design of Imabari City
Kenzo Tange's design takes into consideration the design of the entire city. The Imabari City Hall complex is located between Imabari Port and Imabari Station, and the city hall greets the straight road from the port, called Hirokoji. Kenzo Tange placed the city hall complex in consideration of the flow line and landscape of the entire city. The intersection in front of City Hall was designed as a roundabout, and the current City Hall parking lot was envisioned as a relaxing plaza for citizens. The space connecting Imabari Port, Hirokoji, and City Hall was designed in accordance with Mr. Tange's vision for Imabari's urban design.
a (wide) main street
Imabari City Public Hall
The Imabari City Public Hall, characterized by its "folded-plate" structure with diagonal walls, is still used for concerts and plays, and is the center of culture and art in Imabari City. 2011, there was a debate about demolishing the building, but after citizens demanded its preservation, renovation work was conducted without changing the exterior appearance. Today, the building remains a familiar symbol of Kenzo Tange's architecture in Imabari.
Imabari City Public Hall
Screw Objet
A new monument was created in front of City Hall in 2013. It is an objet d'art of a screw propeller of the same type used on the world's largest container ship (320 m in length), with a diameter of 9 m and a weight of approximately 93 tons. The monument was donated by Imabari Shipbuilding, a local company, to promote Imabari as one of the world's leading maritime cities with a concentration of maritime industries such as shipbuilding and marine transportation, and as a city that is "making great strides in the world. The Imabari City Public Hall, built by Kenzo Tange, stands behind the propeller, making it a new symbol of Imabari and a popular photo spot.
screw objet d'art
The Future of Imabari City
The current main building of the City Hall was completed in 1958 and has become decrepit, making the issue of earthquake resistance an unavoidable one. However, the Imabari City Hall complex plays an important role in connecting the city's history and future as a landmark of Imabari City, strongly reflecting the urban design philosophy of Kenzo Tange, and Imabari City is considering preserving and utilizing the buildings as a cultural center. Based on the design by the great hometown architect Kenzo Tange, the building will be further developed.
Imabari City Halls