【Soon】JP IN CONSTRUCTION

2026.04.18-2026.06.27
GREY CUBE

This exhibition is a re-edited version of the “IMT in Construction”, the inaugural special exhibition held by Intermediatheque upon its opening in 2013. This exhibition features newly printed photographs from the construction record album of the former Tokyo Central Post Office, which was built between 1929 and 1931, as well as photographs focusing on Intermediatheque, drawn from the construction records documenting the redevelopment of the former Tokyo Central Post Office from 2010 to 2013 and its evolution into its current form as the JP Tower.

The Great Kanto Earthquake, which struck on September 1, 1923, caused catastrophic damage to the cities centered around Tokyo Prefecture. Against the backdrop of an era focused on post-earthquake reconstruction and modernization, the construction of the Tokyo Central Post Office began in 1929 with Tetsuro Yoshida, an engineer in the Maintenance Division of the Ministry of Communications, as the architect. Reflecting Yoshida’s own architectural aesthetic, this building―with its white-tiled exterior and black window frames arranged in a grid pattern―can be considered a symbol of modernism and would later earn high acclaim both domestically and internationally.
Set against the backdrop of the remaining shanty towns in the vicinity and the charming Tokyo Station, its refined design stands out remarkably. At the same time, it offers a glimpse into the craftsmanship of the artisans who worked on this massive structure during the early Showa period, when industrial production was still in its infancy. This fusion of era and space has been passed down to the retro-modern atmosphere now exuded by Intermediatheque.


Organizer: The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT)