Kiyonori Kikutake facts for kids

An amazing building called the Edo-Tokyo Museum, designed by Kiyonori Kikutake.

Kiyonori Kikutake (born April 1, 1928 – died December 26, 2011) was a very important Japanese architect. He was a leader of a special group of architects called the Metabolists. They had new ideas about how buildings could grow and change, just like living things. Kikutake also taught many famous architects, including Toyo Ito, Shōzō Uchii, and Itsuko Hasegawa.

Early Life and Education

Kiyonori Kikutake was born in 1928 in Kurume, Japan. He studied architecture at Waseda University. He finished his studies there in 1950.

Architectural Career

Kikutake's most famous idea was his "Marine City" project from 1958. This project showed his vision for cities that could float on the ocean. It was a big part of the Metabolist Manifesto, a set of ideas presented at the World Design Conference in Tokyo in 1960.

His ideas, along with those of other Metabolists like Kenzō Tange and Kisho Kurokawa, became known around the world. This happened when their work was shown at the "Visionary Architecture" exhibition in New York in 1961.

Kikutake also taught at universities. He became an assistant professor at Waseda University in 1959. Later, he became a professor at Chiba Institute of Technology in 1989. He returned to Waseda as a visiting professor from 1993 to 1998.

Kikutake continued to design buildings until he passed away in 2011. He created many important public buildings across Japan. He also shared his architectural knowledge with students around the world. He was the President and later the Honorary President of the Japan Institute of Architects.

Awards and Recognition

Kikutake received many awards for his work, both in Japan and internationally. Some of these awards include the Japan Academy of Architecture Prize in 1970. He also won the UIA (Union Internationale des Architectes) Auguste Perret Prize in 1978.

Notable Works

Kiyonori Kikutake designed many interesting and important buildings. Here are some of his most famous projects:

• Sky House, Tokyo, 1958
• Marine City, 1958 (a visionary project)
• Tatebayashi Civic Centre, 1963
• Administrative building of Izumo Shrine, 1963
• Pacific Hotel, Chigasaki, 1966
• Miyakonojo Civic Hall, 1966
• Expo Tower, Expo '70, Osaka, 1969
• Matsumi Tower, 1976
• Tanabe Art Museum, 1979
• Hotel Seiyo, Ginza, Tokyo, 1987
• Edo-Tokyo Museum, 1993
• Hotel Sofitel, Tokyo, 1994
• Shimane Art Museum, 1999
• National Showa Memorial Museum, 1999
• Kyushu National Museum, 2005

Gallery of Buildings

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  Tatebayashi Civic Centre, 1963

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  Administrative building of Izumo Shrine, 1963

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  Miyakonojo Civic Hall, 1966

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  Osaka Expo Tower, 1970

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  Matsumi Tower, 1976

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  Hotel Seiyo, Ginza, Tokyo, 1987

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  Hotel Sofitel, Tokyo, 1994

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  National Showa Memorial Museum, 1999

Images for kids

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  Kitaya Inari Shrine, 1997

See also

In Spanish: Kiyonori Kikutake para niños