Architect Paul Tange stands on the site of the latest improvements to the ASIJ campus, which he has designed for the school. AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN
Master schools need master plans, and the American School in Japan’s project to improve and update its campuses, which began in 1998, is near completion. The final two phases, designed by current ASIJ parent and internationally renowned architect Paul Tange, will bring dramatic enhancements that will help the school realize its full potential and create a more secure and richer learning environment for its students.
In architectural circles the name Tange is synonymous with cutting-edge grand designs and the creation of many of Japan’s iconic modern buildings. From the Hiroshima Peace Park and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium to the Fuji TV Building in Odaiba and the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, the work of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kenzo Tange defines 20th-century architecture for many Japanese. With the completion of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in 2008 and his current redesign of Roppongi Crossing, Kenzo’s son Paul Tange is continuing that work, helping create Tokyo’s future cityscape. In between large-scale projects in Singapore, where he is building a 38-story addition to the Overseas Union Bank Center, Paul has generously agreed to lend his expertise to ASIJ, redesigning a significant area of the campus.
“As I view the drawings of Paul Tange, our architect, I can only applaud his vision to give ASIJ a greater sense of place that will create pride and a feeling of belonging for generations to come. In addition, the new front entrance and the new classroom spaces will enable our students to be safer as they disembark from buses, to have the privilege of expanding their learning experiences, and to experience the landmark of excellence that is the essence of what ASIJ represents,” says Head of School Ed Ladd.
Phase 1, which begins this month, will see the front of the school transform inside and out, with a new main gate and remodelled high school entrance. A new suite of athletics facilities, to include a wrestling room, dance studio, fitness centre, and six tennis courts, will enhance the current curricular and co-curricular programs. The elevation of the tennis courts will allow ASIJ to create a designated bus drop-off and pick-up zone with covered bus parking.
Phase 2, beginning in 2012, will focus on the current Multi-Purpose Room building, which will be replaced with a new two-story building. Housing elementary classrooms for art and science and a new ES performance space, the facility will also include a new strings room. The creation of a Japan Centre will add specialist resources to support our Japanese studies program at all levels. “I am especially thrilled with the plans to develop a Japan Centre on campus to ensure that the language and culture of Japan is at the heart of the school and learning experience of all students. This celebration of culture will be an invaluable resource for everyone in our community,” says Ladd.
— MATT WILCE
