Which architect designed Tokyo’s Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower?

Tange Associates designed Tokyo’s Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower.

The 204-metre educational skyscraper stands in Nishi-Shinjuku and was completed in 2008. Tange Associates developed the design for Mode Gakuen, an educational institution operating specialized schools in fashion, interior design and medical care. The tower’s name comes from its large cocoon-like silhouette.

Its exterior uses a diagonal structural grid that wraps around the building, while the inside is organized around three large schools. The design expresses the idea of students being nurtured inside a cocoon before emerging into professional life. The project won the 2008 Emporis Skyscraper Award.

A common confusion is with Kenzō Tange, the celebrated Japanese architect who founded the firm’s earlier practice. Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower is credited to Tange Associates, the successor practice, rather than being a building designed by Kenzō Tange personally.