Tokyo International Forum, Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, Receives the Twenty-Five Year AIA Award
Rafael Viñoly Architects’ Tokyo International Forum has been honored with the prestigious AIA Twenty-five Year Award. Celebrating its “distinctive transparent character and capacity to engage with the public in the largest metropolitan area in the world.” Rafael Viñoly Architects was first selected to design the structure through Japan’s first international design competition facilitated by Kenzo Tange, the architect of Tokyo’s City Hall and the first Japanese laureate of the Pritzker Prize.
Initially constructed as a response to Tokyo’s need for civic and cultural space and completed in 1997, the Forum was selected as Japan’s inaugural international design competition. The concept entailed creating a major public area that would be protected from the noise of the nearby roads while still being accessible. In fact, the structure’s design boasts a granite-clad perimeter that encloses a landscaped plaza, integrating seamlessly into its urban context. The scheme features 34 separate conference rooms, an exhibition hall, and seven performing arts and multipurpose halls.
