en.Wedoany.com Reported - A century after the birth of modernist architecture, it has itself become a historical heritage in need of preservation. Across the globe, a number of iconic buildings constructed in the 20th century are facing decisions of demolition or renovation, with the industry closely watching their adaptive reuse plans. These cases include five buildings in Japan, Qatar, Togo, Finland, and the United States, designed by renowned architects such as Kenzo Tange, Minoru Yamasaki, and Alvar Aalto.
The Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium in Kagawa, Japan, built between 1961 and 1964, is a representative work of Brutalist architecture designed by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The building was permanently closed in 2014 due to roof leaks and was slated for demolition in August 2025. To save the structure, citizens launched a campaign seeking alternative uses, with one proposal suggesting its transformation into a "tourism exchange center" integrating art, architecture, and hotel functions.
In Doha, Qatar, the Central Post Office, completed in 1985, is known for its modernist "pigeon coop" design. In December 2025, the State of Qatar announced the selection of a team led by Frida Escobedo Studio to design the new headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The plan includes constructing a new courtyard-centered building and adaptively reusing the Central Post Office building as a public venue for cultural initiatives related to the Ministry.
The Hotel de la Paix in Lomé, Togo, was designed by French architect Daniel Chenut in collaboration with Raphaël Ekue Hambono and completed in 1975. The hotel's 9-square-meter rooms were too small, and its concrete shear walls made renovation difficult. After closing in 2006, multiple revival attempts failed. Following its inclusion on a demolition list in 2022, Studio NEiDA proposed converting it into an education center, with the original rooms serving as studios or student dormitories.
The Toppila Silo in Oulu, Finland, designed by Alvar Aalto and Aino Aalto in 1931, was originally part of a cellulose production plant and has been idle for decades. In 2020, Skene Catling de la Pena and the Factum Foundation purchased the site, planning to transform the silo into a research center promoting architectural preservation and reuse, while also serving as a hub for documenting and showcasing the digitization of northern industrial architecture.
The Northwestern National Life Insurance Building in Minneapolis, USA, designed by Minoru Yamasaki and built in the early 1960s, originally accommodated 500 employees. The building features a regular grid of slender columns extending into a colonnade and was conceived as a "building with a park." Vacated in 2023, a proposal has been drafted to convert it into a hotel, preserving its iconic features and marble exterior.
