Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier Is Trying to Save Some of Japan's Most Famous Buildings From Demolition

Tomas Maier of Bottega Veneta is raising awareness for famous Japanese buildings before they are torn down.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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With Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympics, the city is hard at work trying to make renovations that will accommodate for the flood of tourists that invetiably come with the games. Unfortunately, some of Japan's most famous building, such as "its version of New York's Pennsylvania Station," have become targets for demolition much to the ire of Bottega Veneta designer Tomas Maier. 

Maier is a huge proponent of Japanese modernism and has highlighted buildings like the Nissay TheatreYoyogi National Gymnasium, which was built in Tokyo for the 1964 Olympics, and the Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium. Maier concern is focused, though, on Hotel Okura, one of the most famous buildings in Japan and regarded as a masterpiece of modern Japanese design. Hotel Okura has plans to tear down its main wings to make room for a massive tower that can serve more guests.

In a statement, Maier said of the buildings, "As a longtime admirer of Japanese modernism, I am deeply saddened that these great buildings might soon disappear ... Japan's modernist architecture bridges the gap between the country's traditional buildings and contemporary architecture, giving Tokyo its unique aesthetic character." 

To try and protect the building, Bottega Veneta has partnered with Japanese architecture magazine Casa Brutus to launch a social media campaign that asks social media users to post meaningful photographs to Twitter under the hashtag #MyMomentAtOkura.

"We hope that Bottega Veneta can help promote awareness of this issue, as we believe that great design is timeless," Maier said in the statement. You can see Maier's contribution to the campaign, and watch his video on Japanese architecture below.

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View this video on YouTube

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[via artnet]

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