ABSTRACT
Kurashiki is both a particularly fine and a particularly interesting example of the twentieth century town hall. It was designed by Kenzo Tange, Japan’s most prominent modern architect and is representative of his search for a modern Japanese architecture which connects to both ancient local tradition and an increasingly global culture. In Kurashiki, the square was bounded to the north by an auditorium building and to its south, by the new city hall, with a new railway station, offset to the side. The central section between the cores is given a special place in the hierarchy of the building, and is reserved for its civic functions, with the ceremonial entrance hall rising from the level of the square through the two floors, and the council chamber above. Unlike many Japanese buildings of the 1960s and 1970s, Kurashiki City Hall has survived although converted into the Kurshiki City Art Museum in 1983.
