A sense of unity develops the moment that athletes and spectators share passion inspired by the athlete’s performance. In a building that seeks to promote a sense of unity, anything that stands in the way becomes an obstacle to achievement of that aim. Kimura continues, “Kenzo Tange believed that the existence of pillars would obstruct the link between the athletes and specatators, so the response that he came up with was to design a roof with a cable structure. Suspending the roof by tension to achieve a large space. This system was typically used for bridges, but no one had ever attempted to use a suspension structure over such a large space in a building. Kenzo Tange was fully motivated, but for the staff at the time, it was a first, and they said it was a challenge that required a fair amount of courage.”

一体感とは、その一瞬に、選手も観客もすべての人が熱中することだ。一体感を追求した建物の場合、それに水を差すものは不要になる。木村はこう続ける。「柱の存在も一体感の妨げになると丹下健三は考え、導き出した回答が屋根を吊り構造にする設計。引っ張る力により屋根を吊り、大空間を実現するものです。橋などの設計では一般的なものでしたが、施設、それもこれほど巨大な大空間の屋根を吊り上げる建築物はどこにもありませんでした。丹下健三はやる気満々だったそうですが、当時のスタッフは初めてづくしのことなので、かなり勇気のいる挑戦だったと言っていました」

Kimura says, “It is a big mistake to think that architecture is something that is finished once a building is completed. Just as humans require maintenance as they age, it is important to regularly maintain buildings so that they are long-lasting.” He says that, for Tange Associates, which has built several historical buildings, there are now many opportunities to be involved in plans for preservation or redevelopment of older buildings. “Repairs include seismic retrofit, update of function, and repairs to interior and exterior deterioration. We have also conducted large-scale repair at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, including painting the entire roof and exterior repairs, refurbishment for accessibility, and improvements in earthquake resistance. The original pavement at Yoyogi National Gymnasium was cobblestone and had an uneven surface. At the time, not much consideration was given to accessibility. However, things are different now. A special lane made of even stone was created for wheelchair users. We replaced each stone, grinding it down to be flat. It is delicate work: if the stones are ground too much, the texture is damaged. So we ground them carefully to preserve the effect that Kenzo Tange intended. As symbolized by this cobblestone pavement, Tange Associates believes that it is important to not only restore the building to its original state as intended by Kenzo Tange but also to think about the building’s value and to create living architecture that can continue to be used into the future. For Tange Associates, the completion of a building is not the end; it is the start of work to maintain it and pass it on to future generations. This is precisely the process of passing on TANGE DNA to future generations. This is the meaning of TANGE DNA+.”

建築とは建物ができあがったら終わる仕事だと思ったら、それは大きな間違いだという。人間でも年を重ねていくとメンテナンスが大切になるように、末長く維持していくには建築物にも手をほどこすことは重要。特に数々の歴史的建造物を造ってきたTANGE建築都市設計の場合、その保存や再整備にかかわる計画に携わる機会が増えてきたと木村は言う。「改修の内容は耐震補強、機能更新、外装・内装の劣化補修などさまざまです。国立代々木競技場でも、これまでに屋根の全面塗装や外装の改修、バリアフリーへの改修や耐震性の向上など、大規模な改修を行ってきました。国立代々木競技場の歩道は石畳ですが、完成当時はけっこうでこぼこしたものでした。その当時はバリアフリーという考えがあまり浸透していませんでした。しかし今は違います。石を１枚１枚剥がしてグラインダーで平に削って張り直しました。削り過ぎると風合いが損なわれるので、丹下健三がめざした雰囲気を残しながら丁寧に削っていきました。この石畳が象徴するように、改修計画にあたってはTANGE建築都市設計が大切にしていることは、単に元の形に復元するということだけではなく、その建築の価値がどこにあるかを考え、丹下健三がその建築に込めた意図を大切にしながらこれからも活用されつづける生きた建築として整備していくことが大切だと考えています。TANGE建築都市設計にとって、建物の完成は終わりではなく、それを維持し、次代へ伝えていく仕事の始まりであり、そしてそれはTANGE DNAを次の世代へ伝えていくことに他なりません」