11 月 13 2008
パレスサイド・ビル Palaceside Building
敷地：東京都千代田区一ツ橋
竣工：昭和41年(1966年)
設計者：日建設計（林昌二）
DOCOMOMO Japan 020
Location:Hitotsubashi,Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo
Establishment:1966
Architect：Nikken Sekkei(Shoji Hayashi)
感想：Impression
「皇居の御濠端に、戦後日本の60年代を象徴する近代建築が聳える」
パレスサイド・ビルという名称が現しているように、首都東京の象徴である皇居の御濠端にこのオフィスビルは建っている。竣工は日本が高度経済成長をひた走っていた1960年代(1966)で、既に40年以上の歳月が流れているが、良好なメンテナンスや空調設備類の更新・増強に支えられて、現役のオフィスビルとして老朽化することなく機能している。東西に細長い不整形な敷地に、全長200mに及ぶ長方形の二棟のビルが雁行して並び、その両端部に白亜の円筒コアが取り付いた外観は、周囲に異彩を放っています。都心にありながら、南側の皇居の平川門や東の大手町、西の竹橋から濠越しに全景が望める素晴らしいロケーションもこのビルの魅力の一つになっている。
外観から受ける印象は長大なファサードでありながら、単調さに陥らない豊かな表情を湛えていることに感心します。60年代当時では最大サイズのガラスのカーテンウオールに日照を調節するアルミ鋳物のルーバーと外部に露出させた雨樋といった実用的な各部品が意匠的に水平、垂直のラインを構成し、ファサードの表情に味わいある陰影を作り出すことに成功している。また、東西端部に取り付く円筒コアの白いプレキャストコンクリートのクールな表情や妻側のシャフトに空高く積まれた茶褐色の煉瓦が醸し出す重厚感が対比をなして、このビルの外観に多彩な表情を与えているようです。尚、竣工から40年余年が経過しているだけに、社会環境の変化から改修を余儀なくされた部分があります。それは皇居御濠側の前面道路が拡幅され、ビルと道路間にあった幅12ｍの空地がなくなり、正面玄関前の車寄せ上部にあったユニークな庇が撤去されてしまったことで。竣工時の写真では、庇を上から見ると日の丸を模した白地に赤丸が塗装されています。毎日新聞社と並ぶオーナーでアメリカの著名企業であるリーダーズ・ダイジェスト社が入居するビルの庇に、日本の国旗の日の丸をデザインするという設計者の大胆不適な意匠心に感銘を受けました。現在も小さい庇はありますが、そのデザインは凡庸なものであり、環境の変化からやむを得ないとはいえ、オリジナルの魅力が損なわれてしまったのは残念です。
内部に目を向けると、１階と地下1階にまたがるコンコースには当初から相当入れ替わったようだが現在も多くのテナント賑わっている。中央の吹きぬけ空間を上下に繋ぐ階段はステンレスを大胆に使った特異なデザインから「夢の階段」と呼ばれ、60年代当時はステンレスが建築材料として先端をゆくものであったので、世界から注目を集めたという。空中に浮かんだ雲のような造形をイメージして試行錯誤を重ねた末、吊り橋の構造を参考に製作された。ステンレス線で編んだ両サイドのネット状のフレームからアルミ鋳物の段板を吊る方式でディテールが考えられている。段板に体重かけると微妙にしなるが、しなることでフレームのステンレス製ネットが引き締まり、バネのような弾力が段板を踏み心地の良いものにしているようで、繊細に表現された構造が強度を生んでいるところが面白い。中央廊下の突き当たりには外観で際立っていた東西の円筒形コアの内部、エレベーターホール・トイレ・階段などの諸機能が円弧を描いて納まっています。各階においては、長い直線の幅広い廊下の両端部に大きなガラスが入り、視線が遮られることなく外部に抜けながら、円形のエレベーターホールに吸い込まれるように接続している巧みな設計がオフィスという職場環境に住宅のような心地良さを感じさせている。心地良さという細かい配慮はコア周りのトイレや階段にも見られる。円弧という形を利用してエレベーターホールの外側にトイレ配置することで、扉をつけずに視線を遮りながら、円筒の外壁に刻まれたスリット状の開口部からトイレというプライベートスペースにも自然光を入れ気持ちよく用を足せるように考えられている。また階段も円弧に沿って僅かに角度をふって設計され、昇降していても柔らかく包まれるような雰囲気がある。外壁に面した踊り場では少しスペースがとられてトイレ同様、スリットから柔らかな自然光が降り注ぐ。機能が優先されるコア周りのトイレや階段に心地良さが配慮されている辺りに、40年以上前からオフィスビルを生活環境と考えていた設計者の先見性が感じられるのである。
見学の終点は、皇居の豊かな自然環境が一望出来る広大な屋上です。60年代当時では群を抜いた巨体を誇るこのビルの面積がそっくりそのまま地上36m上空に出現している様子は圧巻です。竣工時のインパクトはかなりなものであったと想像出来る程、セキュリティが厳しくなった現在では見られないような巨大な屋上が広場として開放されている。南側に近づけば、眼下に畏れ多くも皇居を見下ろす状態になりますが素晴らしい眺めです。都心のど真ん中に延々と広がる緑の樹海や水を湛えた濠、古びた石垣などを眺めていると、かつてここが江戸城或いは千代田城と呼ばれていた140年前の往時はいかばかりかと想像を逞しくするばかりです。屋上には、通常露出している空調設備機器が雁行した二棟間の中央廊下に相当する隙間に床レベルを下げて納められている為、視界が遮られることなく広々とした景観を楽しめます。都市的な景観を背景に屋上を歩いていると、まるで大形客船の甲板にいるような気分の良さを感じる。それは、このビルの屋上が単なる屋根ではなく人工の土地として庭園化され、ビルで働く人たちや見学者が気持ちよく憩える広場となるように設計されているからでしょう。
パレスサイド・ビルが建つ以前、この皇居の御濠端には日本がまだ連合国の占領下にあった1950年代初め(1951)、リーダーズ・ダイジェスト社の東京支社が建てられていました。建築家の*アントニン・レーモンドが設計した社屋はこの皇居を望む広い敷地に、パビリオンと見紛う明るく透明な空間をもった瀟洒な二層の建築に、イサム・ノグチがデザインした庭園や池、屋外彫刻が付属した名建築でした。その名建築をオーナーのリーダーズ・ダイジェスト社の企画とはいえ、完成後10年余りで取り壊して新しいオフィスビルを建てるということに設計者は相当なプレッシャーを感じていたという。同じ敷地に在った戦後日本の建築遺産の建て替えと向き合い、智恵と労力を注ぎ込んで自分達の時代の新しい建築をつくりだした。それから40余年の歳月が流れた今、このオフィスビルは、過去の記憶を継承した現代の建築遺産となっており、次の時代にも価値を放ち続けていくことでしょう。
＊アントニン・レーモンド(1888-1976)：1919年、「帝国ホテル」建設のため建築家フランク・ロイド・ライトと伴にアメリカから来日し、そのまま日本に留まり、東京で建築家として活動するようになった。戦前(1919-1937)、戦後(1948-1973)の二つの時代の日本に多くの作品を残し、日本の近代建築の発展に大きな貢献を果たしました。
” The modern architecture which symbolizes Japan’s the 60s after the war at the end of the moat at the imperial palace towers “.
This office building is built at the end of the moat at the imperial palace which is a symbol in metropolitan Tokyo as the name, the palace side building, shows. In (1966) in the 1960s when Japan was running high economic growth endlessly, the equal to or more than 40 year time is passing already but the completion functions without being supported by the update and the reinforcement of the good maintenance and the air conditioner kind and becoming too old as the current office building. The outward appearance that two buildings of the rectangle which reaches the 200 m full length east and west in spindly site with non- plastic surgery went side by side and that they stood in line and that the circular cylinder core of chalk possessed both edges gives off conspicuousness around. It boils one piece of wonderful location of the attractiveness of this building that it is possible to want the moat crossing boiling whole view from Takebashi at Otemachi at Hirakawa gate at the imperial palace in the south side and in the east at it, in the west at them while being in the downtown, too, and it becomes.
It admires of the rich look which doesn’t fall into the drab to be full while the impression to get from the outward appearance is a grand facade. It succeeds in composing the level and vertical line by each of practical parts such as the louver of the aluminum cast which controls sunshine and the trough to have made the outside expose like a design to the curtain wall of glass with maximum size in those days in the 60s, tasting it to the look of the facade and creating some shadow. Also, the massive impression which the brick of the dark brown that the sky was high and that it was loaded onto the white cool factory precast concrete look and gable side shaft of the circular cylinder core to begin an edge in east and west creates accomplishes contrast and seems to be giving the outward appearance of this building an eclectic look. Incidentally, only to pass for equal to or more than 40 years from the completion has the part which was compelled to repair by the boiling, the change of the social environment. It is to have done it with the widening of road to the frontal road on the side of the imperial palace moat, that the vacant land with the 12 m width which made at the road with the building passed away and that the unique eaves which were in the portecochere upper part in front of the main entrance had been removed. At the photograph in completion, Akamaru is painted to the white background which imitated a flag of the Rising Sun when seeing eaves from above. The Reader’s Digest Inc. which is a famous company in America at the owner who equals the Mainichi Newspapers, Co., Ltd. got impressed in the design heart the designer of the flag of the Rising Sun of the national flag in Japan to design is bold and to be unsuitable for the eaves at the moving building. It is small at present, too. There are eaves but that the design could be crawled on when it was commonplace and was unavoidable with the change of the environment and that an original attractiveness had been damaged are sorry.
When turning eyes inside, it seems that it quite gave way to the concourse which extends over the 1st floor and the 1st floor the basement from the first but a lot of tenants are bustling at present, too. It says that it attracted public attention from the world because the stairs which join wellhole space in Central to the top and the bottom were called ” the stairs of the dream ” from the design which is peculiar which used stainless steel boldly and the stainless steel went in the tip as the building materials at the time of the 60s. It was manufactured to the reference in the structure of the end, the suspension bridge which repeated trial and error by imagining molding like the cloud which floated on the air. The details are thought of by the method which hangs the tread-board which is made from aluminum cast from the Net -shape frame at the both sides which was knitted by the stainless line. The weight at the tread-board or it is subtly bent when kicking but the stainless Net of the frame tightens up in being bent. The elasticity like the spring seems to improve the stepping feeling of the tread-board and the place where the delicately expressed structure yields strength is interesting. The central corridor Inside the cylindrical core in east and west which stood out in the outward appearance, various functions at the elevator hall restroom and the stairs and so on draw an arc and are satisfied with the end which is. It is circularity’s one while big glass is included in both edges in the wide corridor of the long straight line in each floor and the ONE’S eyes go outside without being interrupted.The skillful design which connects with the elevator hall to be absorbed is making feel pleasure like the house in the work environment, the office.Minute consideration, the pleasure, is seen by the restroom and the stairs in the core neighborhood, too. It is thought of to put natural light in the private space, the restroom, too, from the opening having to do with a slit which was carved in the outer wall of the circular cylinder while interrupting ONE’S eyes without putting a door in arranging at the restroom outside the elevator hall using the form, the arc, and that it is possible to add up business pleasantly. Also, there is an atmosphere as it is possible to wrap softly up even if the stairs, too, shake an angle a little along the arc and are designed and are going up and down. At the place for dancing which faced an outer wall, a little space is caught and the soft natural light lashes from the restroom same, the slit. The foreseeability of the designer who thought that the office building is life environment from equal to or more than 40 years before for the hit that pleasure is considered at the restroom and the stairs in the core neighborhood where a feature is had priority over is felt.
The terminal of the visit is the vast rooftop which can get a bird’s-eye view of the rich natural environment at the imperial palace. The state that the area of this building to be proud of the huge figure which excelled in those days in the 60s is as it is sprung to the sky of 36 m of the ground is highlights. Be imagined as being the fairer the impact in completion can, in the present when the security became more severe, the huge rooftop as not seen is open as the plaza. If approaching the south side, it becomes the condition to overlook an imperial palace by under the eyes, being awesome, too, but it is a wonderful view. When looking at the dense woodland of Midori which spreads forever to the dead center of the downtown and the moat of water to be full by, aged Ishikaki and so on, this place makes imagination sturdy ever only, saying past before by 140 years which were called Edo-jo or a Chiyoda castle yes. At the rooftop, generally, it is possible to enjoy a without sight’s being interrupted open view because exposed air conditioner equipment is supplied to the crack which is equivalent to the central corridor among two going side by side by lowering a floor level. When walking at the rooftop with a background of the view having to do with a city, it feels to do the improving of the feelings as it is in the deck of the large-sized passenger boat just like. By the rooftop of it at this building It is not merely roof and it will be because it is made a garden as the artificial land and it is designed to become the plaza about which the people and the visitor who works at the building can rest pleasantly.
Before a palace side building was built, the Tokyo Office of the Reader’s Digest Inc. was built at the beginning (1951) of the 1950s which in the Allied Powers under occupation still had Japan at the end of the moat at this imperial palace. As for the branch office which *Antonin Raymond of the architect designed, in wide site to want an imperial palace, at the smart architecture in 2 layers like the pavilion which had transparent space brightly, the garden and the pond, the outdoor sculpture of which Isamu Noguchi designed were to do the great architecture being which is attached. It says that the designer felt a considerable pressure to the fact of planning of the Reader’s Digest Inc. of the owner, but demolishing the great architecture within about 10 years after complete and building a new office building. It was confronted with the rebuild of the architecture inheritance in Japan after the war which was in the same site, it poured labor with the wisdom and it created a new architecture in our times. Then, in now which the time of the one of about 40 years flowed through, this office building becomes the architecture inheritance in today which succeeded to the memory in the past and will be to continue to give off a value in the following times, too.
＊Antonin Raymond (1888-1976): 1919, it visits Japan from boiling America with architect Frank Lloyd Wright to construct ” Imperial Hotel “.
It was, it stayed just as it is in Japan and it got to work as the architect in Tokyo.
It left a lot of works in Japan in the (1948-1973) 2 corner times in (1919-1937), after the war before the war and it achieved big contribution by the development of the modern architecture in Japan.
参照文献 Reference
「DOCOMOMO20JAPAN 文化遺産としてのモダニズム建築展 DOCOMOMO20選」/2000 “Documentation and Conservation of buildings,sites and neighborhoods of the Modern Movement”/2000
「建築家林昌二 毒本」/林昌二著/新建築社/2004 ”The poison book of Shoji Hayashi,Architect “/written by Shoji Hayashi/published by Shinkenchikusha/2004
「空間と技術-日建設計・林グループの軌跡」/SD別冊No3/鹿島研究所出版会/1972 “Space and Technics-The works of Shoji Hayashi,Architect,and his team,Nikken Sekkei”/The separate volume No3 of SD/published by The Kashima institute publishing meeting/1972