Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
kyoto international conference center
by SAICHO OTANI
The massive, futuristic Kyoto International Conference Center, designed in 1966 by Sachio Otani, a former member of Kenzo Tange’s studio, is a striking example of postwar Metabolist (shinchintaisha, aka metaborizumu) architecture. With its bold oblique angles and almost no straight walls or columns, the building resembles origami and reimagines traditional Japanese temple architecture in a city known for its 2,000 temples and shrines. It has inspired contemporary Japanese architects and remains a popular attraction today.
KYOTO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER, DESIGNED BY SACHIO OTANI, TAKARAGAIKE, KYOTO, PHOTOS VALERIE SADOUN
