The Demolition of the Imperial Hotel

The Imperial Hotel rose up in the centre of the capital, on land owned by the Imperial House. The director Tetsuzo Inumaru was not satisfied by the profit brought in by the 280 rooms available. Already in 1936, 14 years after opening, a plan for demolition was developed. The deterioration of the materials and the negligent use of the spaces was the reason but the occasion was the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, to put up in its place a more modern hotel, 17 storeys high. A committee created to defend the building and the Yona Friedman’s proposal to Prime Minister Sato to, instead of demolishing, use the space above according to his theories of “spatial urbanism”, were of no use in stopping the bulldozers from arriving, after much procrastination, in December 1967.

Label for the Imperial Hotel. Photo Archivio Domus

An image of the Tokio earthquake in 1923. Photo Peter Kengelbacher

Demolition in front of the main entrance. Photo Sato, Archivio Domus

Removing details during demolition. Photo Sato, Archivio Domus

View of the former entrance lobby. Photo Stefan Koppelkamm, Domus 694/88

General view of the demolition site. Photo Sato, Domus 459/68

Postcard with the main body of the Imperial Hotel. Photo Archivio Domus

The Telegram, 1923 September 13. From: Frank Lloyd Wright, An Autobiography, op. cit.

Balcony above the main entrance. Photo Sato, Archivio Domus

Removing details during demolition. Photo Maurice Hogenboom Domus 459/68

Detail of the entrance hall. Photo Stefan Koppelkamm, Domus 694/88

The Demolition of the Imperial Hotel

Latest on Architecture

Latest on Domus