Kifukuji

The main hall of Kifukuji Temple, a historic Soto Zen temple near the University of Tokyo's Akamon Gate, has been rebuilt. To finance the reconstruction of the hall, which was destroyed during the war, a high-rise condominium called "Akamon Abitation" was constructed on the temple grounds. The approach to Hongo Street is a narrow 6-meter path, shared with the condominium. The main hall features an avant-garde design, breaking away from traditional forms. Its exterior is boldly expressed with a massive concrete block supported by four pilotis, embedded with pebbles. Inside, the space is primitive, with rough cave-like walls and a grid ceiling of exposed concrete.