New Sky Building : Tagged for Demolition

Text  by: Julian Worrall
Photos by: JIL-Studio
















This is a building that i've known about since i first arrived in tokyo in 2000. it is called the new sky building and was built in 1972 by architect yoji watanabe using techniques used in building submarines. the naval theme continues on the roof, which looks like the deck of a battle ship. each floor has two apartments back to back, arranged as a series of steel prefabricated rooms plugged into a concrete spine. i think it is one of the most brilliant and evocative pieces of residential architecture anywhere.

 

 The building is (or was) also fascinating socially. on the ground floor there used to be an ancient couple who ran a taxidermy outfit from a tiny shop tenancy. they would have dusty stuffed raccoons and hawks peering out into the lobby from behind half-frosted glass. also in the first few years of this century the top three floors were inhabited by a colony of scruffy german art and architecture types, mostly from berlin. they would throw a party every three months or so. hanging out on the roof under a dark misty sky listening to kraftwerk with the shinjuku neon lighting up the rain was an totally unforgettable experience.

When kodansha first approached me to do the book i suggested including this building in the lineup. however it does not meet the cutoff of 1990 for contemporary architecture. this is a shame, since there is now talk that the building will be demolished, and it should be immortalized in print somewhere. i give thanks for the sluggish japanese economy every time i walk past it and find it still there.

(final photo courtesy of consume)