Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan

Nishi-Ikebukuro, Japan

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Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan, a former school building in Nishi-Ikebukuro, Tokyo, was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his assistant Arata Endo in 1922. Built for the progressive Jiyu Gakuen School—founded by the idealistic couple Yoshikazu and Motoko Hani—the structure exemplifies Wright's Prairie School principles applied to a modest budget. Composed economically of 2×4 wood and plaster, the complex features a central section with soaring double-height windows overlooking a courtyard, flanked by symmetrical east and west wings scaled to children. Wright distinguished the design with extensive use of gray-green Oya stone from Tochigi Prefecture for pavements, columns, and corridor lanterns, lending Japanese character to the composition. The Myonichikan complex comprises four buildings: the main hall, east and west classroom wings forming a U-shape, and a 300-seat auditorium designed by Endo across the street. Designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1997 and restored between 1999 and 2001, it has been open to the public since November 2001.