Architect Kenzo Tange Passes Away

[Mulboyne]

Reuters: Architect Who Modernized Japan Dies at 91
The architect whose designs guided the rebuilding of modern Japan from the ashes of World War II, died of heart failure at his home in Tokyo on Tuesday at the age of 91, Japanese media said...more...

Kenzo Tange Official Site
English Profile of Tange for the Pritzer Prize ceremony

[GuyJean]

Just seen on TBS news that Kenzo Tange died - funeral held Friday - he was 91

That guy was an architectual machine! He basically designed something on every continent, in every style, in every decade since the 50s..

http://www.ktaweb.com/works/en_index.html

GJ

[dimwit]

We have one of his suckers just up the street. It is modern. The large trees surrounding it do a good job of making it less obnoxious then it could be. All in all not a terrible design, but from the side view it looks like an airplane hanger.

http://www.ecf.or.jp/english/kenbun_sisetu.html

Like many public works it is badly underused and costs a fortune. Looking at Tange's cv it seems that he was heavily involved in the Japanese momument industry.

[Mulboyne]

Asahi: Rainwater takes its toll at Tokyo landmark
...Only 15 years after it was built to great fanfare for its novel design, this soaring Tokyo landmark is plagued with rain leaks, faulty lighting and other aging problems...Full-scale repairs would cost about 100 billion yen, according to one estimate. That is almost two-thirds of the 157 billion yen it cost to build the structure in the first place... Annual maintenance costs come to 1.8 billion yen, despite the fact that the outer windows are washed and wiped only once every three months. Moreover, due to the uneven surfaces, there are more than 120 kilometers of waterproof joints, making repair a daunting task. Rainwater has begun seeping through those joints, everywhere from the first-floor entrance through to the assembly chairman's office on the sixth floor of the assembly building...
... The metropolitan government has set aside 1.27 billion yen for emergency repairs in fiscal 2006, four times this fiscal year's allocation. According to one official, though, that may not be enough. "It is almost time to decide whether we should start full-scale repair work," the official said. But the cost would be enormous. And even if the repair process was wrapped up in 10 years, it would have to start all over again on the areas that had been fixed first. "Repair work will have to go on forever," said one expert. One Tokyo official suggests a different solution, half-jokingly and half-bitterly. "Wouldn't it be better to use it (without repairs) until it becomes dilapidated, and then rebuild it all anew?"

[GomiGirl]

One Tokyo official suggests a different solution, half-jokingly and half-bitterly. "Wouldn't it be better to use it (without repairs) until it becomes dilapidated, and then rebuild it all anew?"

TIJ!!!

But that building is such an icon. I can see it from my new apartment and I walk past it often. Tis a shame it wasn't built better from the get go. TIJ!!!

[Ketou]

Hmmm maybe we should get the structural data checked....