{"id":13466,"date":"2025-08-14T17:29:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T10:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/saving-kenzo-tanges-kagawa-gymnasium-new-preservation-and-reuse-plan-revealed\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T17:29:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T10:29:48","slug":"saving-kenzo-tanges-kagawa-gymnasium-new-preservation-and-reuse-plan-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/saving-kenzo-tanges-kagawa-gymnasium-new-preservation-and-reuse-plan-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"saving kenzo tange\u2019s kagawa gymnasium: new preservation and reuse plan revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium\u2019s demolition news<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>News surrounding the potential demolition of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/concrete-architecture-and-design\/\">concrete<\/a> and modernist Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kenzo Tange (1913\u20132005) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-japan\/\">Japan<\/a> has spurred an ongoing movement to save the beloved landmark, home to local sports events in Takamatsu for over 50 years. While demolition was scheduled for 2025, a major update emerged on July 2025, when the prefectural government announced a formal acquisition and preservation plan, including a private proposal to fully renovate and repurpose the building as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/hotel-architecture-and-design\/\"><strong>hotel<\/strong> <\/a>and cultural hub \u2014 a self-funded alternative that could spare the icon from demolition.<\/p>\n<p>view of the Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium from the northwest, 2016<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Shut down in 2014 due to lack of maintenance<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kpg-rebirth.jp\/\"><strong>The Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium<\/strong><\/a> by Kenzo Tange was closed on September 30, 2014, due to the need for seismic retrofitting and a roof leak caused by rusting suspension cables, which had to be replaced for the building to remain in use.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For years, no prospective bidders stepped forward to salvage the historical landmark, and the team behind the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wmf.org\/\">World Monument Funds<\/a> feared that the situation might increase the likelihood of demolition. In June 2018, the gymnasium was included among eight global sites to receive preservation funding from American Express through the World Monuments Fund program.<\/p>\n<p>bird\u2019s-eye view from the south, 2016 | photo by Noriyuki Kawanishi<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Kenzo Tange reinforced concrete for his vessel building<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the 1950s, Masanori Kaneko, then governor of Japan\u2019s Kagawa Prefecture, tapped Kenzo Tange to design two new buildings in the prefectural capital, Takamatsu. At the time, Tange was Japan\u2019s leading architect, also working on the design of the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For the Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium, the architect used modern materials to evoke the form of a traditional Japanese wooden barge as well as the strong, supple body of an athlete. The tilted-ship shape of the structure, the root of its moniker \u2018boat gym,\u2019 consists of a deep concrete ring carried on four massive supports, with a roof of thin concrete slabs supported by suspension cables. Inside, the sports hall lies above the entry level, which contains other facilities including dressing rooms and offices. Built in the 1960s, the gymnasium was Tange\u2019s way of exploring how reinforced concrete could create a vast, dynamic interior space.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The eaves soar upward above the welcoming glass facade of the entrance, while the symmetric curved ceiling evokes excitement during competitions and ceremonies. The World Monuments Fund has warned that destroying this invaluable gymnasium would be \u2018an irretrievable loss.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>image courtesy of Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">A NEW FUTURE FOR THE \u2018BOAT GYM\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Due to this support, the WMF launched a project in 2019 to foster community initiatives against demolition. However, until recently, without a solid buyer to restore and maintain the structure, the prospect of bulldozing the building remained on the table. Now, the self-funded private proposal signals a turning point: if approved, the plan would not only preserve one of Kenzo Tange\u2019s modernist masterpieces but also transform it into a vibrant destination for art, culture, and tourism \u2014 offering a sustainable alternative to demolition and ensuring the legacy of the \u2018boat gym\u2019 for future generations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>west view of the Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium, 2017 | photo by Yuichi Hirano<\/p>\n<p>images courtesy of World Monuments Fund | header and photo by Noriyuki Kawanishi<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>east side cantilever, 2017 | photo by Yuichi Hirano<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>entrance foyer, 2016 | photo by Hidehiko Waki<\/p>\n<p>third floor arena, 2014 | photo by Noriyuki Kawanishi<\/p>\n<p>south side night view, 2009 | photo by Noriyuki Kawanishi<\/p>\n<p>east side night view, 2009 | photo by Noriyuki Kawanishi<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>project info:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>name: <span>Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium<\/span><\/p>\n<p>architect:<span> Kenzo Tange (1913 \u2013 2005)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>petition: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/p\/%E9%A6%99%E5%B7%9D%E7%9C%8C%E7%AB%8B%E4%BD%93%E8%82%B2%E9%A4%A8%E3%82%92%E5%A3%8A%E3%81%95%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%E3%81%A7\"><span>here<\/span><\/a><span> by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wmf.org\/\"><span>World Monuments Fund<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/architecture\/kenzo-tange-kagawa-prefectural-gym-japan-petition-save-02-21-2023\/\">saving kenzo tange\u2019s kagawa gymnasium: new preservation and reuse plan revealed<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/\">designboom | architecture &amp; design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium\u2019s demolition news \u00a0 News surrounding the potential demolition of the concrete and modernist Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kenzo Tange (1913\u20132005) in Japan has spurred an ongoing movement to save &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.7 - 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