Tokyo, Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Myonichikan
Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Myonichikan, the "House of Tomorrow," is the original building complex of Jiyu Gakuen, designed Frank Lloyd Wright. Arata Endo, working as an assistant for Wright's project constructing the Imperial Hotel, introduced Wright to his acquaintances Yoshikazu and Motoko Hani, who founded Jiyu Gakuen. Impressed by the couple's self-reliant, Christian-oriented educational philosophy, in 1921, Wright accepted to undertake the design of their new school.
Wright and Arata collaborated so closely on the design for the School of the Free Spirit that the final plans were signed by both of them — the first time Wright had ever shared credit.
Built of 2 x 4 wood and plaster, Jiyu Gakuen featured a central section with double-height volume and soaring windows facing south onto an open courtyard, with symmetrical wings on the east and west. It was built to child scale, with an architectural richness belying its budget.
A lengthy battle to save the aging structure was fought in the 1990s, with the Japanese government rewriting its regulations so that the building could be used after being designated an Important Cultural Property in 1997. Myonichikan is only open to the public on rare days when not in use for weddings and other events.
Tokyo, Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Myonichikan
Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Myonichikan, the "House of Tomorrow," is the original building complex of Jiyu Gakuen, designed Frank Lloyd Wright. Arata Endo, working as an assistant for Wright's project constructing the Imperial Hotel, introduced Wright to his acquaintances Yoshikazu and Motoko Hani, who founded Jiyu Gakuen. Impressed by the couple's self-reliant, Christian-oriented educational philosophy, in 1921, Wright accepted to undertake the design of their new school.
Wright and Arata collaborated so closely on the design for the School of the Free Spirit that the final plans were signed by both of them — the first time Wright had ever shared credit.
Built of 2 x 4 wood and plaster, Jiyu Gakuen featured a central section with double-height volume and soaring windows facing south onto an open courtyard, with symmetrical wings on the east and west. It was built to child scale, with an architectural richness belying its budget.
A lengthy battle to save the aging structure was fought in the 1990s, with the Japanese government rewriting its regulations so that the building could be used after being designated an Important Cultural Property in 1997. Myonichikan is only open to the public on rare days when not in use for weddings and other events.