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New Kabuki Theater Osaka
3-52 Namba 4-chome, Minami-ku, Osaka
1958
The New Kabuki Theater, seating 2000 people, is located in the
busy Namba area of Osaka, in the neighborhood of many other theaters
and cinemas.
This building is considered to be the most exuberant design of Togo Murano. It imitates traditional roof motives in the most explicit way.
The composition of those japanese Elements is anything than traditional. Above the first-floor arcade are four layers of undulating eaves,
which are called kara hafu in Japan. The large gabled eaves cover the entire building. Finished in dark painted copper, the eaves are in strong contrast
with the white-painted walls and balustrades as well as the white marble columns of the first floor. Strategic spots are highlighted with gleaming gold ornamentation.
The brilliant exterior appearance impresses and irritates the viewer. The effect is emphasized by the heterogenous environment of the building.
This rather peculiar composition is the consequence of the clients request. The owners asked for a building in the opulent style of the Momoyama period.
It seems that Togo Murano took the Nagoya Castle and the Nijo-jo Palcace in Kyoto as his references. Of couse, Murano allowed himself a good deal of freedom.
Ont the Inside, the building is decorated with brilliantly painted ceilings. Colored in red, gold and green, thes ceilings reflect the colors of the stage.
The auditorium with its extended width and relativ shallowness ensures good visibility from all seats. The acoustics were planned with great care,
so that amplified sounds seem to emerge directly from the actors on the stage. The walls of the auditorium are mostly paneled with cypress plywood,
while paintings in the Momoyama style are located on the walls of the box seats. The walls in the foyer are painted, the columns are clad with white marble
and the floor is covered with carpets.
This building is considered to be the most exuberant design of Togo Murano. It imitates traditional roof motives in the most explicit way.
The composition of those japanese Elements is anything than traditional. Above the first-floor arcade are four layers of undulating eaves,
which are called kara hafu in Japan. The large gabled eaves cover the entire building. Finished in dark painted copper, the eaves are in strong contrast
with the white-painted walls and balustrades as well as the white marble columns of the first floor. Strategic spots are highlighted with gleaming gold ornamentation.
The brilliant exterior appearance impresses and irritates the viewer. The effect is emphasized by the heterogenous environment of the building.
This rather peculiar composition is the consequence of the clients request. The owners asked for a building in the opulent style of the Momoyama period.
It seems that Togo Murano took the Nagoya Castle and the Nijo-jo Palcace in Kyoto as his references. Of couse, Murano allowed himself a good deal of freedom.
Ont the Inside, the building is decorated with brilliantly painted ceilings. Colored in red, gold and green, thes ceilings reflect the colors of the stage.
The auditorium with its extended width and relativ shallowness ensures good visibility from all seats. The acoustics were planned with great care,
so that amplified sounds seem to emerge directly from the actors on the stage. The walls of the auditorium are mostly paneled with cypress plywood,
while paintings in the Momoyama style are located on the walls of the box seats. The walls in the foyer are painted, the columns are clad with white marble
and the floor is covered with carpets.