Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
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Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building | |
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東京都庁舎 | |
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1 | |
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General information | |
Status | Complete |
Type | Prefecture building |
Location | 2-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo 163-8001 Japan |
Coordinates | 35°41′23″N 139°41′32″E / 35.68972°N 139.69222°ECoordinates: 35°41′23″N 139°41′32″E / 35.68972°N 139.69222°E |
Construction started | April 1988 |
Completed | December 1990 |
Opening | 1991 |
Cost | ¥157 billion |
Owner | Tokyo Metropolitan Government |
Height | |
Roof | 242.9 meters [797 ft][1] |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 48 |
Floor area | 195,764 m2 [2,107,190 sq ft] |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Kenzo Tange |
Structural engineer | Kiyoshi Mutō |
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁舎, Tōkyō-to Chōsha), also referred to as Tochō (都庁) for short, houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs the special wards, cities, towns, and villages that constitutes the whole Tokyo Metropolis.
Located in Shinjuku, the building was designed by architect Kenzo Tange. It consists of a complex of three structures, each taking up a city block. The tallest of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. The building also has three levels below ground. The design of the building was meant to resemble an integrated circuit,[2] while also evoking the look of a Gothic cathedral.
It is the tallest city hall in the world.
The other two buildings in the complex are the eight-story Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Building (including one underground floor) and Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No. 2, which has 37 stories including three below ground.
The two panoramic observation decks, one in each tower on floor 45 (202 meters [663 ft] high), are free of charge to the public and contain gift shops and cafes.[3] The observation decks are open between 9:30 and 23:00, but the two observation decks are open on alternate days .[4]
History[]
The building was designed by Kenzo Tange and finished in December 1990 at the expense of ¥157 billion (about US$1 billion) of public money. It replaced the old city hall at Yūrakuchō, which was built in 1957 and also designed by Tange, which is now the site of the Tokyo International Forum.
It was the tallest building by roof height in Tokyo, at 242.9 meters [797 ft],[1] until the Midtown Tower was completed in 2007.
See also[]
Tokyo portal
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Tokyo
- Tochōmae Station
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 1". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ Kenzo Tange: Multifaceted Colossus Who Mirrored the Era (in Japanese). Nikkei Architecture – Nikkei BP. 2005. p. 118. ISBN 4-8222-0476-6.
- ^ "Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories". Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "About Tokyo Government Building – Tokyo Travel Guide | Planetyze". Planetyze. Retrieved 2017-09-19.
External links[]
Media related to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings (1991) at Wikimedia Commons
- Map showing the buildings and its neighborhood
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings
- Guide to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Tour (in Japanese)
- CityMayors.com feature
- 3D model of the building for use in Google Earth
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Complex
- Wheelchair Accessibility Information
- 1990 establishments in Japan
- City and town halls in Japan
- Government buildings completed in 1990
- Government of Tokyo
- Kenzo Tange buildings
- Modernist architecture in Japan
- Postmodern architecture in Japan
- Skyscraper office buildings in Tokyo
- Skyscrapers in Shinjuku