Tokyo Nihon-French Academy was built in 1951.
The design at the time was by Sakakura Junzo, an architect who studied under the master of modern architecture Le Corbusier.
Meanwhile, the new Village as Institute, which was completed in 2021, will be handled by up-and-coming architect Fujimoto Sosuke.
In the season of fresh greenery, along with mizuiro ind, we explore modern architecture, both old and new, with white symbols.
- The new school building "Village as Institute" is a graphical building with large windows and exterior staircases. It is characterized by its open construction that allows you to travel around the Village.
- The old school building was expanded in 1962. The attention to detail is highlighted, including solid wood handrails, brass handles, and modern stained glass on the windows.
- The double spiral staircase, known as the "Sakakura Tower," has beautiful organic curves, similar to those inside a snail. Soft light shines through the skylight.
Institut français de Tokyo
Kagurazaka was a prosperous geisha district in the past, and still has its intricate alleys and cobblestone roads. Up the narrow slope from Sotobori-dori along the Kanda River to a residential area, you will find a modern white building consisting of a protruding roof and uniquely shaped pillars.
Tokyo Nihon-French Academy was established in 1952 as an official French government institution to promote cultural exchange in Japan and France.
The area around Kagurazaka is also known as "Paris of Tokyo" because its streetscape reminds me of Montmartre, but it is said that it is the existence of Tokyo's Japanese-France Academy at its beginning. The facility boasts a history of over 70 years, and is rooted in this area and is popular.
The former school building, which was completed in 1951, was created by Sakakura Junzo, a Japanese architect who studied under architect Le Corbusier and practiced modernist architecture. In the 1930s, he worked at Le Corbusier atelier for about nine years, taking two returns to Japan, and was involved in the design of the Japanese Pavilion at the Paris World's Exposition, and in 1937 he received worldwide recognition, winning the Grand Prix in the Architecture category. After that, he returned to Japan. After World War II, he worked at Tokyo Nihon-French Academy and Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, and became a leader in the mid-century Japanese architecture and design world, from furniture and housing to urban planning.
Tokyo Nihon-French Academy is one of the masterpieces of Sakakura architecture. The exterior features pure white exterior walls and a straight design reminiscent of Le Corbusier's influence. This incorporates a Japanese sense of aesthetics, and is thoroughly considerate of simple yet beautiful and functional designs and details. The balcony pillar with an inflated top that you will notice on the way up the hill is a mushroom-like shape that Sakakura nicknamed "Champignon" and is one of the symbols of the facility. The Sakakura Tower, located in the center of the L-shaped school building, is also a symbolic entity known for its spiral staircase that lets light shine through the skylight. In fact, there is a theory that it was designed by Leonardo da Vinci, and it is the same structure as the double spiral staircase in Chambert Chambord in the Loire region, and is a clever design that separates two lines of movement without passing by the person who climbs and descends.
In 2021, the new school building, "Village as Institute," was built across from the old school building and the courtyard. The architect Fujimoto Sosuke, who was in charge of the design, is also very well known in France, as he designed the L'Arbre blanc apartment complex in Montpellier in 2019. The new school building is inspired by a village in the south of France, and is a building that connects multiple classrooms facing the courtyard with terraces and corridors, making it a space where people can freely access and stroll around the village.
Tokyo Nippon-French Academy is harmonious across time, just as the two architectures, old and new, interact with each other. The beautiful design is carried over, repaired, and renovated, and is carefully protected, and updated in a way that fits modern times.
Its modern and timeless style is also in line with the desire of mizuiro ind to be memorable clothing that mizuiro ind cherishes.
Tokyo Japanese and French Academy
15, Yanafunagawaramachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8415
www.institutfrancais.jp/tokyo/
STAFF
photo: Saki Yagi
styling: Mana Yamamoto
hair & make-up: Masayoshi Okudaira
model: SUZI
text & edit : Naoko Sasaki
