JAILCD2026-012: Research on the Morphological Operation of the Memorial Hall for Students who Perished in the War. - Focusing on the Axis Lines and Tsuzumi Shape seen in Kenzo Tange's Architectural Works –

Abstract

This study investigates the geometric operations of “axis lines” and “Tsuzumi-shaped” compositions in Kenzo Tange’s Memorial Hall for Students Who Perished in the War, clarifying their design logic and role in generating monumentality. Although the work remained obscure due to the lack of publication at completion, the plan contains axis-like lines and successive trapezoids that suggest continuity with Tange’s early morphological strategies. Existing studies focus on landscape aspects—topography, views, and the symbolic tower—while disregarding the architectural significance of axes or Tsuzumi-shaped forms. This study therefore analyzes eleven pre–Expo ’70 works referencing axes and seven works employing trapezoids or Tsuzumi forms, extracting their characteristics and applying them to the memorial. The analysis shows that Tange’s axial principles, derived from Le Corbusier’s Palace of the Soviets, emphasize axes toward symbolic voids, orthogonal intersections forming plazas, and spatial structures guiding movement. The trapezoid and Tsuzumi analysis reveal that pairing trapezoids along their short edges was a recurring technique for reinforcing monumentality and spatial direction. Applying these criteria to the memorial identifies eight trapezoids of varying geometries and six Tsuzumi-shaped pairs, one of which closely parallels four key works—CHAHTEAU D’ART, the Greater East Asia Construction Memorial Plan, the Peace Cathedral Proposal, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Competition. The overlap between a drawn plan line and an analytically derived axis further suggests intentional axial design. In conclusion, the memorial embodies Tange’s concept of monumentality through the integrated use of axis lines and Tsuzumi-shaped forms. His technique of creating spatial tension by juxtaposing identical geometries is evident here, contributing to the solemnity appropriate for a commemorative environment.