
The aim of the project to conserve and rehabilitate Kenzo Tange's Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Centre by TAISEI was to identify the areas that were most visibly in need of such intervention and those that needed more conservation and to record the history of each one before restoring it, so that metabolic architecture as we know it can be passed on to future generations.
The building, which has been preserved and rehabilitated on several occasions, underwent renovation of its exterior walls in 1933 and repair of the interior and exterior facilities in 1999. This time, the intervention has consisted mainly of structural and functional reinforcement, encompassing the general rehabilitation of the building and extending the building’s useful life.
The project consisted of a modernization of the structural system to maximise the effect of reinforcements and increase seismic resistance through various solutions, such as the placement of carbon plates on the walls of the cylindrical core from the inside, or the installation of thin steel plates on the lower floors as shear reinforcement, achieving an increase in resistance while maintaining the original geometry of the building and the functionality of its different spaces, transforming them as little as possible.

Kenzo Tange's Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center, renovated by TAISEI. Bird's-eye view. Photograph by Naoki Kumagai Photo Office, Inc.
Project description by TAISEI
This project involved preserving and restoring a modernist building built in 1967 in Ginza, Tokyo, known as an example of Metabolism architecture. This building is a distinctive work by Kenzo Tange, one of Japan's most celebrated architects, who devised a creative new form for a small site located in a place that symbolizes Japan's post-war period of rapid economic growth. The cylindrical core at the center of the building houses vertical circulation routes such as stairs, elevators, and piping. The office spaces protrude outwards from the core, giving it a distinctive appearance.
The paintwork of the exterior walls was renovated in 1993, and the interior facilities and the exterior were renovated in 1999. This time, structural and functional reinforcement and an overall renovation were carried out to extend the building's lifespan for another several decades.
In particular, given the unique structural system, seismic retrofitting was planned to maximize the reinforcement effect while minimizing the space required by identifying the building's weak points through seismic response analysis. Carbon fiber sheets were attached to the cylindrical core wall legs (around the first floor) from the inside as bending reinforcement and thin steel plates were installed as shear reinforcement for the lower floors (first to fifth floors.) This allowed for a significant increase in earthquake resistance while maintaining the building's original form and also ensuring the usability of the small spaces.

As for the exterior, we conducted paint inspections on the walls inside and outside the cylinder to reproduce the original colors at the time of construction. We checked the paint history of the inspection points and compared the colors with photographs from the construction period to identify the colors.
In addition, the underside of the eaves and the cylindrical shape were lit up, and LED lighting was introduced in the interior. This transformed the building's appearance at night and emphasized its presence as a local landmark, day and night.
For the interior and facilities, we focused on reflecting the needs of today's users. Specifically, we enhanced security, implemented business continuity planning (BCP) measures, ensured barrier-free access, and added new shared spaces and pilots. As a result, more comfortable and user-friendly working environments have been achieved.
The project's most significant focus was identifying the areas that needed renovation and those that needed preservation and recording each area's history before restoring it. This metabolism architecture will be passed on to the next generation while adding new functions and value.