The History of the "Red Brick" Buildings of Mita Hilltop Square

2002/10/15

Published in "Juku" No. 236, 2002

When one thinks of Mita, the first thing that comes to mind is likely the Old University Library with its red brick octagonal tower.
It is no exaggeration to say that this "red brick" is a symbol of Keio University.
This article introduces the past and present of the "red brick" buildings on the Mita Campus.

The Old University Library in Mita has survived two major disasters—the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and the Great Tokyo Air Raid (1945)—and retains the magnificent appearance it had at the time of its construction. Its construction was planned as part of the commemorative project for the 50th anniversary of Keio University's founding, and it was completed in 1912 after about three years of work. It was designed and supervised by Tatsuzo Sone and Seiichiro Chujo (Sone & Chujo Architectural Office). Sone was an expert in brick building architecture who, while working for Mitsubishi Goshi Kaisha, was in charge of designing the brick district that became the prototype for the current business district of Marunouchi, Tokyo.

The completed library (Photo <1>) is a Gothic-style Western building with a magnificent exterior of red brick and granite. It has a total floor area of 200 tsubo (660 square meters), comprising the main building (one basement and three above-ground floors), the stacks (six above-ground floors), and an octagonal tower (four above-ground floors) in the southeast corner. The size of its collection and the number of reading seats were also groundbreaking for a university library at the time. Thereafter, until it passed on its central role to the Keio University Library (New Building) (Mita Media Center), which opened in December 1981, it served as a major symbol of Keio University's intellect for many years, being one of the leading university libraries in terms of both quality and quantity.

Brick architecture, introduced in the late Edo period, was only built for a short period up to the Meiji and Taisho eras in Japan, an earthquake-prone country, and many of these buildings no longer exist due to disasters and other factors. For this reason, the Old University Library is an extremely valuable structure as a representative example of Western architecture from the late Meiji period designed by Japanese architects, and it was designated as a national Important Cultural Property in 1969.

Immediately after the war, its appearance with charred steel frames exposed (Photo <2>) instilled a strong desire for reconstruction in everyone in the Keio Gijuku Shachu. The reason Keio University began the reconstruction of the library before anything else (Photo <3>) was none other than that, after the passing of Yukichi Fukuzawa, it was the symbol of the university and the spiritual pillar of the Keio Gijuku Shachu. And even today, it continues to be a special presence that evokes memories of their student days for former Keio students (Photo <4>).

The "Great Auditorium" can now only be remembered through the haiku monument by Mantaro Kubota, located on Bungaku no Oka next to the octagonal tower of the Old University Library, which reads, "Shigururu ya daikodo no akarenga" (A cold autumn shower / on the red bricks / of the Great Auditorium). It was another "red brick" building that once stood on Mita Hilltop Square.

Completed in 1915, it was also a Gothic-style Western building, designed and supervised by the Sone & Chujo Architectural Office, which had previously worked on the Old University Library.

Since its completion, all major university ceremonies, such as entrance and graduation ceremonies, were held in this Great Auditorium. At some point, Keio students began calling it the "Dai-Hall" (Great Hall), and it became a popular venue for extracurricular cultural activities. Furthermore, as one of Tokyo's premier halls with a capacity of 2,000 people, it also served as a cultural center for the general public. The Italian singer Zancolli performed in a concert shortly after its completion. Later, the Indian national poet Tagore and Dr. Einstein, who caused a worldwide sensation with his theory of relativity, gave lectures here during their visits to Japan, attracting large audiences.

It was partially damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, but during its restoration, a pair of unicorn statues were placed on the front balcony, making the hall even more familiar to Keio students. As you may know, this mythical creature from Greek mythology has been the mascot for Keio students at the Keio-Waseda rivalry games since the autumn season of 1962.

The "Dai-Hall" was a stage for a free and vibrant student life, but with the outbreak of World War II, the shadow of war gradually crept in. In November 1943, a send-off ceremony for mobilized students was held at the Great Auditorium, and many Keio students departed from Mita for the battlefield. Then, in May 1945, it was completely destroyed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid... What greeted the Keio students returning from the war was a pile of rusty steel frames and red brick rubble. The West School Building now stands on the site where the "Great Auditorium" once was.

The East Research Building was completed in 2000, the last year of the 20th century. This building, with an exterior that reproduces the "red brick" in harmony with the scenery of the Old University Library, has now become a new landmark on the Mita Campus. It also inherits the role played by the "Maboroshi no Mon" that previously stood on this site, functioning as an approach to the campus. Above the arch that serves as the entrance from Mita-dori Avenue, the famous words of Yukichi Fukuzawa, "It is said that heaven does not create one man above or below another man. Any existing distinction between the wise and the stupid, between the rich and the poor, comes down to a matter of education.," are inscribed in Latin. The arcade that follows, with its three-story high arched ceiling, creates a majestic entrance that evokes the traditions of Keio.

The Old University Library was built with donations from Keio University alumni, with the hope that it would become a symbolic building at the center of learning at Keio University.

The Great Auditorium, which was said to be one of the two great structures on Mita Hilltop Square along with the library, was beloved not only by Keio students but also by local residents, and played a central role in intellectual and cultural activities. The East Research Building, which can be described as a future-oriented research hub for risk management.

The "red brick" buildings will continue to carry the great dreams of Keio University, weaving the future of academic research and of the Keio students.