Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium

Designed with a Brutalist approach, the gymnasium doesn’t believe in architectural context or establishing relationships with the surrounding buildings, but rather the surrounding buildings renovate to match the Brutalist gymnasium.

Brian Pagnotta

Designed and built in 1964 by Kenzo Tange, the gymnasium was designed to conjure an image of a Japanese-style ship. Tange succeeded; the building has been referred to as “Wasen Taiiku-kan,” or Japanese-style ship gymnasium! The gymnasium was closed in 2014 and remains unoccupied. Currently, local architecture groups and other stakeholders have formed a preservation association in the hope of preserving it. The future of the gymnasium is dependent on finding a new use for the building that is sustainable and retains its design integrity. A museum has been advanced as one potential idea.

Submitted by @minagaki.culture

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