AIA Japan — Book Talk: Modern Architecture, Gone but Not Forgotten

When: Thursday 5 November 2026 @ 05:30 (Eastern US time)/ 18:30 (Japan time)
Where: Hybrid: ONLINE / In-Person: Gensler Tokyo, METLIFE Aoyama Bldg 5F, 2-11-16 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062

CES: tbc

Speaker

Naomi Pollock, FAIA

Description

Naomi Pollock will discuss her recent book, which examines the challenges facing iconic modern architecture in Japan threatened with demolition.

Beginning in the 1950s, Japan embarked on the construction of a wide array of innovative city halls, museums, shops, gymnasiums, and other cultural and commercial buildings. Many were design milestones that exemplified the country’s growing technical prowess and became local landmarks.

In an earthquake-prone country where real estate values can be high and the national appetite for the new seems insatiable, many of these buildings have fallen prey to the wrecking ball or are now vulnerable to demolition. Not all can, or even should, be saved. Yet their loss is erasing an important part of Japan’s modern architectural heritage.

The talk will explore a selection of buildings that have already been demolished, delve into the reasons behind their destruction, and make the case for greater efforts to restore and repurpose them.

Free to attend.