The post-war movement called Metabolism, which involved the idea of organic biological growth and architecture, inspired Toyo Ito’s design for Sendai Mediatheque. CIAM 10 first introduced this concept in the 1959 meeting on “The Statement on Habitat”: “Urbanism considered and developed in the terms of the Charte d’Athenes tends to produce towns in which vital human associations are inadequately expressed. To comprehend these human associations we must consider every community as a particular total complex.”9 Hence, Sendai Mediatheque is designed like an organism, which has the ability to adapt in different circumstances; this can be seen in his early design sketches and process. Figure 7 New additions to the old road system New Additions Roads that were taken away Old roads that remained
Figure 8 Figure-Ground of present Sendai City
CONCLUSION From the beginning of the Meiji period to the present, the urban planning history of Japan has always been influenced by the Western urban theories. There was a need to implement effective solutions in the urban planning system to control the constant growth in the economy and population. Through the disasters, Japan saw a need to implement new laws to provide a prosperous and safe city for people to live in. CIAM formed ideas to bring awareness and solve the urban and architectural complications in a positive manner. It is clear that urban planning and the building laws affect and comes before the development of architectural projects conception. The building is appropriate because it addresses the different types of context such as political, social, cultural and physical. By addressing the contexts with an amazing design, it was able to enhance the quality of life of Sendai. Thus, Sendai Mediatheque stands out as a civic symbol in Jozenji Street more than any other public infrastructure. 379