Obituaries

Hiroshi Hara, Architect Known for Kyoto Station Building, Umeda Sky Building, Dies at 88; Innovative Architect Leaves Lasting Legacy

Yomiuri Shimbun file photos
Left: Hiroshi Hara stands at the foot of Umeda Sky Building in Osaka City when it was under construction in November 1992.
Right: People walk on Kyoto Station Building’s iconic steps in November 2012.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:07 JST, January 5, 2025

Hiroshi Hara, the architect known for designing Kyoto Station Building and Osaka’s Umeda Sky Building, died of old age on Friday. He was 88.

Born in Kawasaki, Hara completed his PhD at the University of Tokyo. The young Hara conducted field research on communities around the world in the 1970s. He designed his own house and Kyoto Station Building, both of which feature a valley-like terrace, based on the expertise he gained through his research.

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The buildings of a public junior high school are seen in the town of Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, in June 2023.

Umeda Sky Building, located near Osaka Station, is known for the distinctive design of its rooftop observatory, which was inspired by ancient ruins overseas.

Hara’s award-winning works include the Tasaki Museum of Art in Nagano Prefecture and Yamato International Inc.’s Tokyo office in Ota Ward. He also designed the buildings of a public junior high school in the town of Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, which was the hometown of Kenzaburo Oe, a Nobel Prize-winning writer and friend of Hara.

Hara is also known as a mentor of Kengo Kuma and other architect greats.