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Through the main entrance to the Kantei was
the Entrance Hall. In the hall, the geometrical curves and a symmetrical zig-zag
motif typical of the Art Deco style surrounded the hall. The subtle details gave
the Hall an unconstrained feeling of space.
After the Kantei was completed, then Prime Minister Giichi Tanaka, upon
entering to view the hall for the first time, is said to have exclaimed, "This
is just like a cafe, isn't it?" At that time, the Kantei was a building
ahead of its time.
It seems that the popular architect of the day, Frank Lloyd Wright, had an influential
hand in that walls split the inner rooms as little as possible, and that variety
is given to the space through changes to the decor and through changes to the
height between the ceiling and the floor. The architect of the Kantei at
the time said in an interview, "The interior that is most reflective of the
Lloyd Wright influence is the Entrance Hall."
In this way, the Entrance Hall was a reflection of the style, popular architecture
and art during the early Showa period (late 1920s-1930s). |
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