Tokyo International Forum, Cultural center in Marunouchi, Japan
Tokyo International Forum is a cultural center in Marunouchi with a glass hall 228 meters long and four rectangular buildings containing event spaces. The glass structure is supported by an exposed steel framework, while the adjoining buildings house different halls and rooms for performances and gatherings.
Construction began in 1992 following an international competition won by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. The center opened in 1997 on the site of a former government building.
The name comes from the 1989 international competition, the first held in Japan under International Union of Architects rules, which called for an open forum for international exchange. The bronze statue of Ōta Dōkan, the 15th-century lord who built Edo Castle, stands on the first floor facing the Imperial Palace and was kept from the former city hall site. Each Golden Week the whole complex hosts La Folle Journée au Japon, with over 200 classical concerts.
Access is through underground passages from Yurakucho Station and Tokyo Station, both within a few minutes' walk. The public areas of the glass hall can be entered freely, while events in the auditoriums typically require tickets.
The glass hall's shape follows the curve of the Yamanote Line tracks, and its exposed steel frame was built to resemble a ship's skeleton. The architect Rafael Viñoly won the design through Japan's first international open competition held under International Union of Architects rules.
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