Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
Edo was the name for Tokyo during a 260-year period of strict feudalism and national isolation under the Tokugama Shoganate. It was a time of peace, stability and cultural and economic growth that ended with the arrival of the 'Black Ships' and the Meiji Restoration in 1867, when the city was named Tokyo and began its transformation into a modern, industrialised capital. The museum charts the history of the Edo period, during which time the foundations of the modern city were laid.
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Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
After 12 years of planning and development, and Yen 59 billion of investment, the museum was finally completed on 28 May 1992. The first and lasting impression is of a crouching, malevolent 'star wars' beast that dwarfs the surrounding buildings, including the beautiful copper roof of the nearby Sumo stadium.
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Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
The building is made up of three parts. The two-storey base block houses an entrance hall, a theatre and offices. Above this is an open rooftop plaza on which stand four bulky legs - super columns containing service lifts and so on. These support a further three floors of storage, the 9000-square-metre by 27-metre-high main exhibition space, and a restaurant and cafe at the top.
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Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
The total height, 62 metres, is the same as the Edo Castle which once stood at the centre of the Imperial Palace grounds. To achieve this height, the architect elevated the main space into what would have traditionally been the roof, demoting the middle section to a supporting role, a void. Two long beams (142 metres) span the super columns north and south with a 42-metre cantilever at each end. The facades of the longer sides mirror the main stucture and are a clumsy reference to a traditional Japanese roof.
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Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
The building is clad in glaring white fluorine-resin-coated fibre-reinforced concrete panels. As you stand on the steps of the plaza, you become aware of the vast scale. An escalator travels from the plaza to the underside of the 'belly', enclosed in shiny post-box red panels.
Whether this architecture represents something about modern Tokyo or old Edo is an open question.
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Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Kiyonori Kikutake 1992
address . . . . . . . . . 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku [6I 17]
structural engineers. . . Gengo Matsui and O.R.S. Office
client. . . . . . . . . . Tokyo Metropolitan Government
contract value. . . . . . Yen 38 billion
size. . . . . . . . . . . 48,000 square metres
JR. . . . . . . . . . . . Ryogoku-Sobu Line
access. . . . . . . . . . open
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