St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo

St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo
General information
Location	3-15-16 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku
Town or city	Tokyo
Country	Japan
Completed	1964
Renovated	2007
Height	Cathedral: 39.4 m (129 ft) Tower: 61.6 m (202 ft)
Technical details
Floor area	3,650 m2 (39,300 sq ft)
Grounds	15,098 m2 (162,510 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Kenzo Tange
Structural engineer	Yoshikatsu Tsuboi

St. Mary's Cathedral (東京カテドラル聖マリア大聖堂 Tōkyō Katedoraru Sei Maria Daiseidō) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo. It is located in the Sekiguchi neighborhood of Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.

History

The original wooden structure, constructed in 1899 in the Gothic style, was destroyed during the air raids on Tokyo during World War II. The present church, designed by Kenzo Tange, was completed in 1964. Tange was assisted by Wilhelm Schlombs, architect to the Archdiocese of Cologne, construction engineer Yoshikatsu Tsuboi, who had worked with Tange on previous projects, and Swiss architect Max Lechner.

Architecture

The layout of the building is in the form of a cross, from which eight hyperbolic parabolas rise in a manner similar to a contemporary landmark cathedral located in San Francisco, also referred to as St. Mary's Cathedral. The parabolas open upwards to form a cross of light, which continues vertically along the length of the four facades. To this rhomboid volume other secondary constructions are added, including the baptistry and the baptismal font. The rectangular shapes contrast with the symbolic character of the cathedral. The bell tower is 61.6 m (202 ft) high, standing a short distance away from the main building. The exterior cladding is made of stainless steel. In 2004 a large organ built by Italian firm Mascioni was installed.

Gallery

• StMary'sCathedral-Tokyo-01.jpg

  Cathedral interior

• Stmary3.jpg

  Cathedral interior

• Stmary4.jpg

  Cathedral interior

External links

• Official website
• Photographs of exterior and interior of church