The process for designing and constructing the Komazawa Park Gymnasium and Central Plaza

Abstract

In his book Gaibu kūkan no kōsei (Exterior Space in Architecture), Yoshinobu Ashihara criticized modern architecture and urban planning and searched for ways to realize plazas suitable for humans. This study analyzes how Ashihara designed the Komazawa Park Gymnasium, a wrestling venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and the Central Plaza. It focuses on the distinctive hyperbolic paraboloid shells of Komazawa Park Gymnasium. Concurrently, this study evaluates Ashihara's uniqueness as an architect while comparing the Komazawa Central Plaza with Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, designed by Kenzo Tange.