Waseda El Dorado, Art Nouveau building in Waseda-Tsurumaki-chō, Japan
Waseda El Dorado is an Art Nouveau building in Tokyo featuring sculpted female torsos and marble faces projecting from its walls alongside curved wrought-iron balconies. The ground floor holds an art gallery, antique shop, and beauty salon, while upper levels contain residential apartments with private access.
The structure was designed in 1983 by architect Von Jour Caux, a Waseda University graduate, as part of an artistic movement during that era. It emerged from a vision to merge European and Japanese design approaches.
Inside, you find Buddhist hand sculptures and Japanese-style printed wallpaper that blend religious symbolism with local artistic traditions visible in daily spaces.
The ground floor spaces are open to visitors, but the residential apartments above are off-limits. Visit during business hours to see the gallery, shops, and architectural details in the entrance area clearly.
The facade features iridescent tiles with mother-of-pearl inlays and ceramic sculptures, combining rare European and Japanese craftsmanship techniques. This attention to detail gives it a personal, almost experimental quality that few buildings achieve.
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