Branson Coates Architecture Ltd 1990
The cityscape of Tokyo is remarkable for its almost complete absence of built continuity. It has been constantly reconstructed since the great earthquake in 1923 and more recently since World War 2.
Nigel Coates' Wall is set along the main street from cosmopolitan Hiroo to Aoyama and across the street from a Tadao Ando building that once housed a Coates-designed bar. It abruptly introduces history in the form of Ancient Rome.
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Branson Coates Architecture Ltd 1990
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Branson Coates Architecture Ltd 1990
During construction, a vast hoarding declared:
'The concept for the building revolves around a wall of monumental proportions - a wall which could have been built by the Romans, a wall of stone and giant arches, a wall which could have encircled cities. But unlike the ruins of Rome, this wall is both ancient and still being built. Atop its giant cornices, blocks of stone lie waiting to be placed. Sculptures in the form of ancient building cranes suggest that the building is continuing to grow, towards the future into the 21st century.'
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Branson Coates Architecture Ltd 1990
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Branson Coates Architecture Ltd 1990
Italian bricklayers were flown in to apply the final texture to this artificially ruined wall. A Victorian gasometer-like cast-iron frame in front of the facade supplies a further archaeological layer and inverted aircraft undercarriage wheels, cast in bronze, are used at the cornice. Visitors to the bars within may ascend stairs on the outside so that seen from the street they weave past and present to become 'characters in an architectural drama'.
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Branson Coates Architecture Ltd 1990
Down to page [NCSA Mosaic users only]
Branson Coates Architecture Ltd 1990
The prohibitive cost of land in Tokyo necessitates a fast recouping of investment, and a novelty such as this draws in the crowds. Since the British architect designed the Metropole restaurant in 1985 - a combination of 'an English gentleman's club and a European cafe with traces of decay' - in collaboration with creative 'space producer' Shi Yu Chen, the duo are regarded by many followers as almost mythical talents who can be relied upon to produce imaginative commercial hits, albeit short-lived ones. Their unbounded imagination and the fluidity of their approach are welcomed by many as breaking away from the idea of the ideal building - whether western or eastern - and as signalling a new kind of hedonism. But today, given the short attention span of the fashion crowd and the post-bubble economic climate, the Wall's appeal is somewhat faded. Male exotic dancers and the occasional Cobra convertible parked outside provide the icing on the cake.
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