The process for designing and constructing the Sunpu Kaikan

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to reveal the difficulty of realizing large hyperbolic paraboloid (HP) shell structures comprising reinforced concrete in earthquake‐prone Japan in the 1950s. The analysis focused on the design and construction of Sunpu Kaikan, focusing on the roles of Kenzo Tange and Yoshikatsu Tsuboi, alongside their architectural laboratory staff. It revealed how the experience gained in the Sunpu Kaikan project contributed to two architectural projects in the 1960s: the Niigata City Gymnasium, with its steel‐frame concrete HP shell, and the Yoyogi National Stadium, with its suspension roof structure.

Keywords

• hyperbolic paraboloid shell
• Kenzo Tange
• Niigata City Gymnasium
• Sunpu Kaikan