In 2023, when the local government in Takamatsu, Japan, announced Kenzo Tange’s Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium would be demolished, it seemed set in stone. However, now the Former Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium Regeneration Committee, led by architect Shigeru Aoki, has proposed a new foundation. At a press conference held on July 23, the regeneration committee requested to purchase the building from the prefecture to instead be repurposed.
Local sporting events were held at the gymnasium for 50 years before it closed in 2014 due to a roof leak. Faced with aging and structural damage from earthquakes, the building’s chances at renovation were dashed after three failed bids for seismic retrofitting and growing preservation costs, according to the committee’s presentation. The decision to demolish the site was aided by the local government’s commission of a new sports facility by SANAA, which opened last year.
While Takamatsu may no longer need a sporting facility, the regeneration committee has reimagined the programming of the facility, making a stronger case for the building’s value beyond the preservation of its cultural and architectural heritage. Two proposals were presented at the press conference: one for a mixed-use “lifestyle hotel” with accommodations, a cafe, and a book lounge; and the other featuring a full transformation of the space into a hotel and restaurant.
The proposals highlight the potential for regional development through the creation of jobs, promotion of tourism, and the preservation of cultural assets. By aiming for more than just preservation, the committee hopes to make a significant case for future profitability of the land, underscoring the benefit of revitalization.
The modernist building, referred to by locals as the “Ship Gymnasium” due to its form, was designed by architect Kenzo Tange in 1964. The massing of the building has a distinct, ovular structure, that evokes the style of a Japanese boat. The roof rises on two sides and is supported by four large pillars. The roof is made of thin concrete poured on suspension cables. Inside, the gymnasium featured interior design by Isamu Kenmochi and a rock garden designed by Masatoshi Izumi.
“Our petition is a declaration of the will of citizens, showing that there is room for reconsideration of the ‘demolition-first’ decision,” the committee noted in an online petition, AN translated to English from Japanese. “If we do not speak out now, nothing will be left behind, and only rubble will quietly pile up”
According to TECTURE magazine, Kagawa Prefecture, located on Shikoku Island in southern Japan, plans to start bidding for demolition in August. If the prefecture and the Board of Education, which have jurisdiction over the building, are convinced—there may be hope.
The initiative will be privately funded through a multitude of partnerships. Current estimated costs run anywhere from approximately $20 to $40 million. Supporting partners include Nomura and Shigeru AOKI architect & associates, with local support from keita nagata architectural element, Octant Architecture and Urban Research Institute, and others.
Additional support has been garnered by international architectural institutions including Harvard GSD, MoMA, and the University of Illinois, and more.
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