After nearing extinction in the 20th century, a Japanese form of comic storytelling known as Kamigata rakugo has a brand new HQ in Osaka, Japan. Tadao Ando, himself an Osaka native, designed the Storytellers’ Association Hall pro bono. Making a few triangular cuts in the building’s simple geometry, Ando revealed the depth of the concrete structure with dramatic recesses of darkness and light. The facade’s dotted concrete and narrow slits of windows recall the architect’s famed Church of Light. Read more!

The new hall, which opened in April, includes performance and rehearsal spaces, as well as a gallery devoted to Japan’s tradition of storytelling, which dates from the Edo period (1603-1867). The building’s simple, unadorned form complements the artistry of rakugo, in which performers channel characters without the use of costumes or props.

All photos courtesy of Tadao Ando

[via designboom]

by Lamar Anderson

posted in New Projects

tagged concrete, Cultural Center, japan, osaka, tadao ando

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