Roofs and Grids in Postwar Japanese Architecture: Excision, Sublation, and Layering of the Symbolic

The role and significance of tradition in modern architectural practices was the subject of much public debate in Japan during the post–World War II period. An analysis of built work of the 1950s and 60s reveals, however, a much more complex set of responses than what these discussions might suggest. This paper uses the conceptual categories of roof and grid to uncover the radical divergences in attitude towards tradition in the works of Kenzō Tange, Seiichi Shirai, and Tōgo Murano as these architects negotiated a transition away from earlier mimetic modes of representation towards design methodologies less hampered by formal exigencies. Through the study of several buildings I show how roof and grid figure in distinct ways at the various levels of iconicity, symbolism, and ornamentation depending on the disciplinary vision of each of the three architects. The analysis reveals fundamental differences in the conception of architectural experience while at the same time underscoring a shared acknowledgment of the historical nature of culture and a shared desire to transcend the duality between modernity and tradition itself.