ARCHITECTURE IN JAPAN

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30079, 13 March 1963, Page 9

ARCHITECTURE IN JAPAN

Address By Dr. Hisada New types of building construction developed in Japan since World War II had the general aim of producing fireproof buildings at the lowest cost, Dr. Toshihiko Hisada said in a public lecture last evening. His subject was “Japanese Architecture,” and he gave an outline of the history of building styles from prehistoric times up to the present day. He illustrated his talk with numerous coloured slides. The new types of construction included reinforced concrete masonry, prefabricated or precast concrete, and light gauge steel, Dr. Hisada said. Large public buildings had been constructed in toe main cities in recent years, mostly from about 1955 on. Many had facades in new materials such as special glasses, metal plate, and plastics. The present Japanese building code set toe maximum building height in nonresidential areas at 31 metres (about 97ft), but the code was to be revised to permit the construction of buildings of 20 storeys or more. The early Shinto shrines were the best examples of “pure” Japanese architecture, Dr. Hisada said. Later buildings were influenced greatly by the introduction of Buddhism from Asia in 538 A.D., and the advent of Western culture in 1868.