Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
東京都庁舎
The building in August 2005
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Prefecture building
Location	Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Coordinates	35°41′23″N 139°41′32″E / 35.68972°N 139.69222°E / 35.68972; 139.69222Coordinates: 35°41′23″N 139°41′32″E / 35.68972°N 139.69222°E / 35.68972; 139.69222
Construction started	April 1988
Completed	December 1990
Opening	April 1991
Cost	¥157 billion
Owner	Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Height
Roof	242.9 meters [797 ft]
Technical details
Floor count	48
Floor area	195,764 m² [2,107,190 sq ft]
Design and construction
Architect	Kenzo Tange
Structural engineer	Kiyoshi Mutō

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁舎, Tōkyō-to Chōsha), also referred to as Tokyo City Hall or Tochō (都庁) for short, houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole.

Located in Shinjuku, the building consists of a complex of three structures, each taking up a city block. The tallest and most prominent of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. The building also has three levels below ground. The design of the building (which was meant to resemble a computer chip^[1]), by architect Kenzo Tange (and associates), has many symbolic touches, most notably the aforementioned split which re-creates the look of a Gothic cathedral.

The other two buildings in the complex are the eight-story Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Building (including one underground floor) and Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No.2, which has 37 stories including three below ground.

The two panoramic observation decks, one in each tower on floor 45 (202 meters [663 ft] high), are free of charge to the public and contain gift shops and cafes.^[2]

History

The building was designed by Kenzo Tange and finished in December 1990 at the expense of ¥157 billion (about US$ 1 billion) of public money. It replaced the former Tokyo City Hall at Yūrakuchō, which was built in 1957 and also design by Tange. The former Tokyo City Hall is now the site of the Tokyo International Forum.

It was the tallest building (by roof height) in Tokyo, at 243 meters [797 ft],^[3] until the Midtown Tower was completed in 2006.

Though it has not gained the same degree of worldwide recognition as Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree, the Metropolitan Government Building has come to represent the city in its own right. It frequently appears in Japanese science fiction as a symbol of authority or in type scenes depicting a futuristic or post-apocalyptic Shinjuku.

References

↑ Kenzo Tange: Multifaceted Colossus Who Mirrored the Era (in Japanese). Nikkei Architecture - Nikkei BP. 2005. p. 118. ISBN 4-8222-0476-6.
↑ "Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories". Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
↑ "Two International Masters", ArchitectureWeek No. 235, 2005.0413, pN1.1.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Records
Preceded by Sunshine 60	Tallest building in Japan 243 m (797 ft) 1990–1993	Succeeded by Yokohama Landmark Tower
Preceded by Sunshine 60	Tallest building in Tokyo 243 m (797 ft) 1990–2007	Succeeded by Midtown Tower

Skyscrapers and towers in Tokyo

List of tallest structures in Tokyo

Completed

Over 300 m	Tokyo Skytree (634 m, 2012) Tokyo Tower (333 m, 1958)

200–300 m	Toranomon Hills (256 m, 2014) Midtown Tower (248 m, 2007) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 (243 m, 1991) NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building (240 m, 2000) Sunshine 60 (240 m, 1978) Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (238 m, 2003) Shinjuku Park Tower (235 m, 1994) Tokyo Opera City Tower (234 m, 1996) Shinjuku Mitsui Building (225 m, 1974) Shinjuku Center Building (223 m, 1979) Saint Luke's Tower (221 m, 1994) Izumi Garden Tower (216 m, 2002) Shiodome City Center (216 m, 2003) Dentsu Building (213 m, 2002) Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (210 m, 1974) Toshima Incineration Plant (210 m, 1999) GranTokyo North Tower (205 m, 2007) GranTokyo South Tower (205 m, 2007) Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (204 m, 2008) Shinjuku Nomura Building (203 m, 1978)

180–200 m	Yomiuri Shimbun Building (200 m, 2013) JP Tower (200 m, 2012) Shin-Marunouchi Building (198 m, 2007) Sumitomo Fudosan Shinjuku Grand Tower (196 m, 2011) Harumi Island Triton Square Tower X (195 m, 2001) Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower (195 m, 2005) Sannō Park Tower (195 m, 2000) Sky Tower West Tokyo (195 m, 1989) Sompo Japan Building (193 m, 1976) Nittele Tower (193 m, 2003) Sea Tower (192 m, 2008) Mid Tower (192 m, 2008) Kachidoki View Tower (192 m, 2010) Acty Shiodome (190 m, 2004) Shinjuku I-Land Tower (189 m, 1994) Owl Tower (189 m, 2011) Atago Green Hills Mori Tower (188 m, 2001) Cerulean Tower (184 m, 2001) Sumitomo Real Estate Shinjuku Oak Tower (184 m, 2002) Century Park Tower (180 m, 1999) NEC Supertower (180 m, 1990) JA Building (180 m, 2009) Park City Toyosu Building A (180 m, 2008) Keio Plaza Hotel North Tower (180 m, 1971)

160–180 m	Sumitomo Fudosan Mita Twin Buildings (179.3 m, 2006) Marunouchi Building (179 m, 2002) W-Comfort Towers (178.5 m, 2004) Marunouchi Trust Tower Main Building (178 m, 2008) Toshiba Building (165.9 m, 1984) Shiodome Media Tower (172.6 m, 2003) Kasumigaseki Common Gate Towers (175.8 m, 2007) World Trade Center (Tokyo) (162.6 m, 1970) Tokyo Shiodome Building (173.2 m, 2005) Park Axis Aoyama 1-chome Tower (172.4 m, 2007) Royal Park Shiodome Tower (172 m, 2003) City Towers Toyosu The Twin (171.2 m, 2009) Marunouchi Park Building (170.1 m, 2009) JT Building (169.7 m, 1995) Bay City Harumi Sky Link Tower (169 m m, 2009) Central Park Tower La Tour Shinjuku (167.8 m, 2010) Capital Mark Tower (167.3 m, 2007) Sapia Tower (167.2 m, 2007) Yebisu Garden Place Tower (167 m, 1994) Kita-Shinjuku Area Redevelopment Plan Office Tower (166.5 m, 2011) Naka-Meguro Atlas Tower (165 m, 2009) Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building (147.4 m, 2004) Tokyo Twin Parks (165 m, 2002) Triton View Tower (165 m, 1998) Toyosu Center Building (165 m, 1992) Tokyo Building (164.1 m, 2005) Akasaka Tower Residence (162 m, 2008) Shinjuku Maynds Tower (161.1 m, 1995) Shibaura Island Cape Tower (161 m, 2006) Nippon Seimei Marunouchi Building (160 m, 2004)

150–160 m	Concieria Nishi-Shinjuku Tower's West (159.8 m, 2008) Tornare Nihombashi-Hamacho (159.7 m, 2005) Roppongi Hills Residences (159 m, 2003) Brillia Tower Tokyo (158.9 m, 2006) Bunkyo Civic Center (145.7 m, 1994) Shiroyama JT Trust Tower (147.7 m, 1991) Park Court Akasaka The Tower (157.3 m, 2009) Atago Green Hills Forest Tower (157 m, 2001) Kasumigaseki Building (156 m, 1968) Plaza Tower Kachidoki (155.2 m, 2004) The Toyosu Tower (155 m, 2008) Tokyo Dome Hotel (155 m, 2000) Tokyo Gas Co. Headquarters (155.7 m, 1984) KDDI Otemachi Building (155.4 m, 1990) Takanawa The Residence (153.9 m, 2005) Toranomon Towers Residence (153.5 m, 2006) Ark Mori Building (153.3 m, 1986) Toyosu 3-Chome Area 8-4 Plan (153 m, 2010) Station Garden Tower (153 m, 2008) Tokyo Sankei New Building (152.4 m, 2000) JPower Headquarters (153 m, 1987) Park Tower Gran Sky (152.9 m, 2010) Garden Air Tower (152.6 m, 2003) Shinagawa East One Tower (151.6 m, 2003) Shiba-Koen First Building (151.2 m, 2000) Futako-Tamagawa Rise Tower & Residence Tower East (151.1 m, 2010) Odakyu Southern Tower (150.8 m m, 1998) Air Rise Tower (150.5 m, 2007) JR East Japan Building (150.2 m, 1997) Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tokyo Headquarters Building (150 m, 2009) Kudanshita 3rd Government Building - Chiyoda Ward Office (150 m, 2007) Taiyo Seimei Shinagawa Building (150 m, 2003) Granpark Tower (150 m, 1996)

140–150 m	Shinagawa Grand Central Tower (149.8 m, 2003) Pacific Century Place (149.8 m, 2001) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Building (148.5 m, 2003) Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corporation Head Office (148.4 m, 2003) Canon S Tower (147.7 m, 2003) Akihabara Dai Building (147.5 m, 2005) Toyosu Center Building Annex (147.4 m, 2006 BEACON Tower Residence (147 m, 2009) Meiji Yasuda Seimei Building (146.8 m, 2004) Fujisoft Akihabara Building (146.7 m, 2007) Canal First Tower (145.5 m, 2008) NTT DoCoMo Shinagawa Building (145.1 m, 2003) River City 21 East Towers (144.9 m, 2000) Sumitomo Fudosan Aobadai Tower (144.5 m, 2009) Shinagawa Intercity Towers (144.5 m, 1998) Hotel New Otani Tokyo Tower (144.5 m, 1974) Toyosu Ciel Tower (144.4 m, 2006) Apple Tower (143 m, 2007) Shinagawa V-Tower (143 m, 2003) Shinagawa Prince Hotel New Tower (143 m, 1994) Mizuho Bank Headquarters (142.5 m, 1980) Regale Nihombashi-Ningyocho (142.2 m, 2007) Shirokane Tower (141.9 m, 2005) Hikifune Station Front Area 1 Redevelopment (141.6 m, 2009) Akasaka Park Building (141 m, 1993) City Tower Shinagawa (140.9 m, 2008) ThinkPark Tower (140.5 m, 2007) Shinjuku Kokusai Building - Hilton Tokyo (141 m, 1984) NHK Broadcasting Center (140.1 m, 1973)

130–140 m	Station Plaza Tower (139.9 m, 2009) Sumitomo Fudosan Nishi-Shinjuku Building (139.9 m, 2009) World City Towers (139.9 m, 2007) Olinas Tower (139.3 m, 2006) Kokusai Shin-Akasaka East Building (139.3 m, 1980) Toyosu ON Building (139 m, 1992) River City 21 Skylight Tower (139 m, 1990) Shibuya Cross Tower (134.1 m, 1975) Akasaka Prince Hotel (138.9 m, 1982) World City Towers Aqua Tower (138.7 m, 2006) The Tower Grandia (138.7 m, 2004) Tokyo Times Tower (138.5 m, 2004) Roppongi T-CUBE (138.5 m, 2003) Venasis Kanamachi Tower Residence (138.2 m, 2009) Royal Parks Tower Minami-Senju (138 m, 2008) Kawadacho Comfo Garden (138 m, 2003) Otemachi Nomura Building (138 m, 1997) Proud Tower Chiyoda Fujimi (137 m, 2009) Cosmopolis Shinagawa (137 m, 2005) Bay Crest Tower (136.6 m, 2005) Renaissance Tower Ueno-Ikenohata (136.5 m, 2005) Nippon Express Headquarters (136.5 m, 2003) Crest Prime Tower Shiba (136.4 m, 2007) Century Tower (136 m, 1991) Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters (135.6 m, 1973) Chiyoda First Building West (135 m, 2004) NTT DoCoMo Sumida Building (135 m, 2003) Akasaka Intercity (134.8 m, 2005) Hotel New Otani Garden Court (134.7 m, 1991) Vanguard Tower (134.6 m, 2007) Riverside Sumida Center (134.4 m, 1994) The Garden Towers (134.3 m, 1998) Yoyogi Seminar Tower Obelisk (134 m, 2008) Nakano-Sakaue Sun Bright Twin (134 m, 1996) Moon Island Tower (133.8 m, 2002) Shinjuku NS Building (133.7 m, 1982) Shiodome Building (133.5 m, 2007) Tokyo ANA Tower (133 m, 1986) Kogakuin University Shinjuku Building (132.9 m, 1989) Sumitomo Realty Shiba-Koen Tower (132.6 m, 2001) NTT Data Shinagawa Building (132.3 m, 2003) River City 21 River Point Tower (132 m, 1989) Shin-Gofukubashi Building (132 m, 1979) City Tower Shinjuku Shintoshin (130.6 m, 2005) The Center Tokyo (130 m, 2007) River Harp Tower Building 2 (130 m, 2000) Tomin Tower Shinonome (130 m, 1996) Sunshine City Prince Hotel (130 m, 1980)

Under
construction

Ōtemachi 1-6 Plan (200 m, 2014)
Tomihisa Cross (191 m, 2015)
Brillia Tower Ikebukuro (189 m, 2015)
Capital Gate Place (187 m, 2015)
Kioichio Project (180 m, 2016)
Nihonbashi 2-Chome Redevelopment Block E (180 m, 2017)

Buildings listed in order of height and with year of completion

Category
Commons

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

History

See also

References

External links