Top Story: 22. August

Sacred Gardens - Kenzo Tange's Legacy

March 22, 2005, architect Kenzo Tange passed away at the age of ninety-one. Kenzo Tange can be said to be the leading architect of postwar Japan. After Meiji restoration, he was the first architect who achieved in combining modern architecture into the underlying context and history.

His work has sublime quality, a certain hidden spirit. He put lot of weight for proportion and aesthetics of his own culture. Although he worked for urban design and made mammoth project - Plan of Tokyo 1960, one can't deny that he was truly traditional Japanese and loved nature. He worked not only Japan, but also in China, Taiwan, Italy, Nigeria, Algeria, Macedonia, Iran, just to mention few countries.

Kenzo Tange could easily be said to be a true modernist and a bit of a rebel. He once said "I hate the change of seasons". Perhaps he was irritated that changing seasons drastically altered all the environment where his building stood.

His character was said to be modest and simple, but also strong minded and very determined. He seemed to be buddhist - in my opinion one of his greatest works was his design of the Lumbini Sacred Garden which is the Sacred Birthplace of the Buddha. This is one of his least known works. The construction of Lumbini Sacred Garden is still in progress, by the way.

Kenzo Tange was born in 1913 in Osaka. He lived his live in Imabari in Ehime prefecture. He graduated from Tokyo University's Department of Architecture after which he worked for under Kunio Maekawa. His work at this time consisted deep study of Le Corbusier. He had been admiring Corbusier - his early essay Eulogy for Michelangelo revealed his talent and deep understanding and fascination for Corbusier's works.

1942 he entered the Tokyo University and became assistant professor from 1946. His true breakthrough was design of the Peace Park and Peace Center of Hiroshima. In 1951 he could finally meet his idol Le Corbusier at International Congress of Modern Architecture (CIAM).

After his design of Kagawa Prefectural Office, which clearly identifies himself as a truly Japanese designer, he got interested about "urban design" which was the term he himself used. He used both planar (2D) and solid (3D) designs in his majestic Tokyo Plan 1960. This plan included a massive manmade islands on middle of Tokyo Bay and connect these islands with bridges. According to the designers, this could have been done without interfering the ecosystem of the bay, and the ship traffic.

The importance of his design in today's Tokyo cannot be underestimated. He has designed not only the most famous (and largest!) buildings in Shinjuku but also Tokyo Dome Hotel and United Nations University Headquarters Building.

For foreigners, maybe most well known work of Tange is The New Tokyo City Hall Complex - the twin towers of Shinjuku. His innovations of this building was rotating the top towers to make it look more modest, as well as the clever square pattern of two shades of granite and glass. Some said it looks like a circuit board - as if to prophesied the incoming computer era. To create a similar identity around for Shinjuku, Tange also designed the Shinjuku Park Tower to have similar colors.

Name of Kenzo Tange means a lot to Saudi Arabians. During 1960 to 1985 Tange participated a competition to modernize city of Muna. The proposal was required to preserve the natural scenery while setting up transportation, hygiene. City of Muna is not just a small town but place of annual religious ceremonies for Mecca Pilgrims - 2 million people were expected to attend these meetings. Tange was one of those that were trusted to make plans for this. And he made Master Plan for Pilgrims Accommodations in Muna. Unfortunately the tragic assassination of King Faisal 1975 ended the project, and the city remains only as a plan. It is good to remember that it is very rare in Islamic countries that such religious places are designed by foreigner or by someone who is not among the religion. Tange was however accepted to the task at hand - perhaps because of his buddhist style and modesty.

This is well seen in his architecture in Ise Shrine - the crossing roof supports look almost like habitants of Ainus. It was also very surprising that Tange designed the Lumbini Sacred Garden without cost - perhaps showing respect and purity for buddhists.

Today, his son Paul Noritaka Tange is keeping his father's work alive. He is the president of Tange Associates - just like his father wanted him to do. He travels constantly and he and his team has over 40 construction projects underway. He does share his father's ambition but does he share the modesty and hints of buddhism? That's something what everyone must see.

According to actress Mariko Kaga, who met Kenzo Tange in legendary cafe Chianti in sometimes 60's, Tange was a Japanese gentleman with true samurai spirit - smiling but holding his words back. Yes, he was the genuine modernist who had guts to see beyond tomorrow.

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