Long a landmark
of Harajuku, the Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments
have stood since 1927, built as a modernist
ferroconcrete experiment in urban living space.
Under their cloud of zelkova trees, the multifamily
housing block has fallen victim of the recent
Omotesando Regeneration Project.
Due to be completed in 2006,
the Pritzker prize-winning architect Tadao
Ando has reimagined Dojunkai as a glass walled
temple of stores topped with residences and
filled with light. This evolution stands to
define not only Harajuku's future, but that
of Tokyo's urban space and how Japan handles
its architectural heritage at large.
