2300. National Indoor Stadium, Japan.

 

Dear Koji,

The former National Stadium served as the main

venue for the 1964 Summer Olympics. Although the

structure was perfectly safe after the 2011 Great

East Japan Earthquake and held a number of 

large music concert successfully, it was demolished

in 2015 to allow for the construction of a new larger

stadium.  This new facility, by Kengo Kuma, served 

as the main venue for the opening and closing 

ceremonies of the 2020 Summer Olympics and 

Paralympics.

Regards,

R

2222. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo

 

Querido Antonio,

Te mando una melancólica postal del Hotel Imperial

de Tokyo fechada el mismo año que fue demolido.

El hotel, construido por Frank Lloyd Wright en 1923,

había resistido un grave terremoto poco después de

haber sido inaugurado.

Un abrazo,

R

2199. Church of the Light, Ibaraki

 

Dear Koichi,

"In all my works, light is an important 

controlling factor. I create enclosed spaces

mainly by means of thick concrete walls.

The primary reason is to create a place for

the individual, a zone for oneself within

society. When the external factors of a 

city's environment require the wall to be

without openings, the interior must be

especially full and satisfying." 

(Tadao Ando)

Respectfully,

R

2074. St. Mary's Cathedral, Interior, Tokyo

 

Dear Koji,

"In architecture, the demand was no longer 

for box-like forms, but for buildings that 

have something to say to the human 

emotions." (Kenzo Tange)

Sincerely,

R

2060. Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art

 

Dear Frank,

"The simultaneous expression of conflicting forces

in a symbiotic manner is my style"(kisho Kurokawa)

Regards,

R

2046. St. Mary's Cathedral. Tokyo

 

Dear Koji,

"Tradition can, to be sure, participate in

a creation, but it can not longer be creative

itself" (Kenzo Tange)

Sincerely,

R

2007. Tokyo International Forum

 

Dear Lucy,

"Architecture is more of an exercise in 

translation than authorship."

(Rafael Viñoly)

Gratefully,

R

1987. Harajuku Protestant Church, Tokyo

 

Dear Tadao,

"The architecture for this Protestant Church is 

centered by a wide nave arranged with six arches 

and a bell tower that symbolically lay importance 

on the seven elements, the seven days of creation, 

the seven churches of the Orient…" (Ciel Rouge)

Sincerely,

R 

1985. Tokyo International Forum. Interior

 

Dear Eladio,

"The best architecture redefines how things

are going to be, rather than repeating what

has been accepted, or what is already part of

the norm. (Rafael Viñoly)

Respectfully,

R

1982. Tokyo International Forum

 

Dear Koji,

"Buildings are forms of performances"

(Rafael Viñoly)

Sincerely,

R

1896. Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan

 

Dear Udo,

"The biggest problem, with respect to the interior 

space, was guaranteeing that it not take on inhuman 

proportions when empty or filled with just a few 

people.We wanted to create and maintain a unified 

environment where athletes and spectators share 

growing mutual emotion.

A single space—not closed and oppressive but free 

and open—a space in which the fifteen thousand 

spectators can also move and flow ‘gently’ in 

functional and psychological terms." (Kenzo Tange)

Best regards,

R

1885. Prada Store. Tokio

 

Dear Simon,

“The store is an interactive optical device. Because 

some of the glass is curved, it seems to move as you 

walk around it. That creates awareness of both the 

merchandise and the city—there's an intense 

dialogue between actors.  Also, the grid brings a 

human scale to the architecture, like display 

windows. It's almost old-fashioned.”
(Jacques Herzog)

Regards,
R

1838. Kasuien annex to the Miyako Hotel, Kyoto

Dear Adan,

"Of all lessons most relevant to architecture today,
Japanese flexibility is the greatest" (Stephen Gardiner)

Regards,
R

1751. The Hiroshima Prefectural Office

Dear Koji,

Modern architecture in Japan demands some visits 

to this country. The Hiroshima office building, with 

its serene and clean composition is a good example 

of it.

Best regards.
R

1706. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan

Dear Toyo,

"I just shake the buildings out of my sleeves"
(Frank Lloyd Wright)

Respectfully,
R

1373. Imperial Hotel. Tokyo, Japan

Dear Koji,

"The sign of a truly felt architectural work is that in plan it lacks effect." (Adolf Loos)

Warm regards,
R

1249. Night view of Odaiba

Querido Antonio,

A la derecha de ésta imagen nocturna de Tokyo se puede
ver las oficinas centrales de Fuji-Sankei construidas por
el maestro Tange en 1996. Este gran arquitecto, desaparecido en 2005, dijo que la arquitectura con su fuerte capacidad de simbolismo debe ser capaz de apelar al corazón de las personas.

Un abrazo,
R

1233. Hotel Okura, Tokyo

Dear Andreas,

The chauffeur got out and bowed. Henderson fired a torrent of instructions at him in fluent Japanese and followed Bond into the back seat, settling himself with a grunt. “Taking you to your hotel first – the Okura, latest of the Western ones. American tourist got murdered at the Royal Oriental the other day and we don't want to lose you all that soon.”
(Ian Fleming-You Only Live Twice)

Best regards,
R

1096. The Teikoku Hotel, Tokyo

Dear Richard,

"They all listened and they understood, in a way. But finally the chief rose to his feet and said: Mr Wright, (he spoke very good English) you are a very famous architect. You wouldn't come here and try to build us something that would fall down; and while we do not understand the principles  that you have tried to explain to us, we have confidence that you will do something from which we can learn. You may go ahead and build your building and we will watch and we will hope to learn" 

(Frank Lloyd Wright)

Regards,
R

1094. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan

Dear Kazuyo,

"Space is the breath of art" (Frank Lloyd Wright)

Compliments,
R