Cover The project began as a private rather than public initiative, yet aims ultimately to contribute to the public good through Tange’s only built residential project
The project began as a private rather than public initiative, yet aims ultimately to contribute to the public good through Tange’s only built residential project
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The Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition brings renewed attention to the reconstruction of Kenzo Tange’s only built home, the Seijo Villa, now being faithfully rebuilt and set to be completed in three years
Michiko Uchida had an unusual house growing up. It featured traditional Japanese domestic elements such as shoji screens and tatami floors, but it was raised a level, leaving a porous and sheltered ground area that merged with the outdoors. The house was determined by the tatami module, and sliding doors also made the living spaces as fluid as the ground level. An engawa—a narrow, veranda-like corridor that runs along the outside edge of a Japanese house, usually between the interior rooms and the garden— stretched its length, although being elevated meant it worked more like a balcony.
Uchida’s father was Kenzo Tange (1913–1995)—one of Japan’s most important modern architects—and his house was an experiment combining modernist and Japanese vernacular tenets. The Pritzker Prize recipient was a leader of the Metabolist movement, and some of his seminal works include the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Yoyogi National Gymnasium and Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Tokyo.
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Above Entrance to the exhibition “The Art of Architecture Regeneration Project 01: Seijo House – Rebuilding Kenzo Tange’s Residence”
Entrance to the exhibition “The Art of Architecture Regeneration Project 01: Seijo House – Rebuilding Kenzo Tange’s Residence”
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Tange’s now-demolished house was built in 1953 and named the Seijo Villa. Located in Seijo, Tokyo, it was the only residential project the architect completed in his lifetime, making it a worthy subject of study for the international architectural fraternity. A project is now under way to reconstruct the dwelling on a hilltop overlooking the Seto Inland Sea in Fukuyama, a city in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The data and venture are recorded in an exhibition titled The Art of Architecture Regeneration Project 01: Seijo House – Rebuilding Kenzo Tange’s Residence. Held in the Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens, it formed part of the inaugural Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition.
Above Among the exhibition photographs was one capturing Arata Isozaki’s wedding, for whom Tange had played matchmaker
Among the exhibition photographs was one capturing Arata Isozaki’s wedding, for whom Tange had played matchmaker
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The event features 23 noted Japanese architects and artists through exhibitions, installations, talks and activities in Onomichi and Fukuyama, examining local town revitalisation, craft and the future of cities. Kenzo’s house will be completed in January 2028 and will open to the public during the second Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition in autumn.
Three firms are working on the surmountable task of realising the villa: Nao Architects Office, Joki Architect and W/. “This project aims to reproduce Tange’s own residence, relying on limited materials including approximately 600 photographs taken prior to its demolition. While seeking to grasp and preserve the original form and spirit to the greatest extent possible through meticulous research and verification, it still remains a new construction,” comments Nao.
Above A model of Seijo Villa displayed at the Kenzo Tange exhibition
A model of Seijo Villa displayed at the Kenzo Tange exhibition
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The project will also be tailored to comply with current regulations and technology. Nao’s team will need to look into detailed design regarding the villa’s structure; mechanical and electrical engineering; selection of materials; and more. She adds, “Guided by the traditional concept of utsushi, we value the spirit of reinterpreting and transmitting the essence of an original [design], and set it as the core philosophy of the project.”
Utsushi means “reproduction” in Japanese and is a term often associated with Japanese tearooms. Here, it “implies an emphasis on learning from one’s predecessors and inheriting their spirit,” reads the exhibition statement. “Proceeding on the basis of utsushi, this project began as a private rather than public initiative, yet aims ultimately to contribute to the public good.”
The ambitious undertaking is funded by the Kambara & Tsuneishi Foundation, which also organised the Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition. Uchida is a board member of the Foundation. At the Seijo Villa exhibition, rare photographs and documents were showcased. One is a photograph of Arata Isozaki’s wedding, which was held at the house. Another famed Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize recipient, Isozaki was a student of Tange.
Above With no fences or walls enclosing it, the House in Seijo’s yard served as a perfect playground for neighbourhood children
With no fences or walls enclosing it, the House in Seijo’s yard served as a perfect playground for neighbourhood children
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The exhibition highlighted that Tange and his wife often played matchmaker for many of their students. “The yard was also frequently used for parties and barbecues,” reads the caption for Isozaki’s wedding photograph, offering a glimpse into Tange’s life outside work and academia.
There were many noted visitors to the house, such as Charlotte Perriand, who is shown lounging in the dwelling in one of the exhibition photographs. German architect and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius also toured with his wife, Ise. There are also photographs of domestic life. In one, Kenzo leans over the engawa, looking out to the garden.
The exhibition presents a 1:50 scale model of the house, giving visitors a more tangible sense of its proportions, framework, and elegant timber and roof expressions. Much like void decks in Singapore, the sheltered space under the elevated house casually welcomed neighbourhood children.
Above The project began as a private rather than public initiative, yet aims ultimately to contribute to the public good
The project began as a private rather than public initiative, yet aims ultimately to contribute to the public good
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“With no fences or walls enclosing it, the House in Seijo’s yard served as a perfect playground for neighbourhood children,” reads the caption of a photograph showing children frolicking in ginkgo leaves. In another photograph, a table has been set for a children’s birthday party at the balcony outside the kitchen and bathroom; Tange often had dinner here too, in this enclosed yet open part of the house, as the exhibition informed.
Albeit small, the Seijo Villa exhibition is significant in provoking ideas about dwelling. The reconstruction of the house reiterates the practice of architecture as deeply spatial – one intertwined with the body as well as the greater cosmos. It is a laudable endeavour that will benefit many young architects to come.
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Photography: Tatsuki Katayama
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