The main stage of the Kabuki theater in Tokyo, known as Kabukiza, was built in 1889 and has undergone several renovations throughout its history (1911, 1924, 1951), with the most recent one concluding in 2013. The current structure stands at 145 meters and consists of a traditional theater below and a high-rise office tower above.

A key challenge was to create a seismically resilient design that would support the tall tower without using columns in the space occupied by the theater. At the time, there were no precedents for such a structure in Japan. Ultimately, the architects decided to allocate a 40-meter-wide space directly above the theater and install a large steel truss system—composed of metal rods connected in triangular nodes. This design is well-suited to bear axial loads and is commonly used in bridges and power line supports, resulting in one of the largest truss constructions ever employed in Japan for a building.

Another challenge involved the installation of roof tiles. Typically, tiled roofs are not placed under high-rise buildings due to strong downdrafts. However, the design achieved high wind resistance to address this issue. The tiled roof retains other distinctive features of the theater, such as the undulating design of the "karahafu" gable.

In the penultimate photo, the cohesive design of both the theater and the tower is evident, showcasing lattice motifs from traditional Japanese architecture that create a sense of continuity.

Name: Kabukiza Tower / 歌舞伎座タワー
City: Tokyo
Address: view the address
Architect: Kengo Kuma
Year: 2013


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