Kiyonori Kikutake was a key thinker and practitioner of the 1960s known primarily as a founder of the Metabolist architectural philosophy. Born in 1928, Kikutake graduated from Waseda University in 1950 and began his professional career working for Togo Murano in the firm Murano Mori Architects. In 1953 Kikutake founded his own studio and quickly established himself as a leading figure of the younger generation. Kikutake’s speculative Marine City scheme, designed in 1958, was promoted by Kenzo Tange and became a centrepiece of the Metabolism 1960 manifesto. At 32 years old, Kikutake was the youngest panellist at the 1960 World Design Conference in Tokyo.

Kikutake’s own home, Sky House (1958) and later the Landmark Tower at Expo 70 both reveal the architect’s three-point design methodology: Ka, Kata and Katachi, which sees architecture as an adaptive, changing condition. Kikutake’s early Metabolist ideas evolved throughout his career, and can be seen in his best-known later buildings, including the Edo Tokyo Museum (1993) and the Hotel Cosima in Ueno (1994). Kikutake’s influence can still be discerned today in the generation of Japanese architects who worked under him, including Toyo Ito and Itsuko Hasegawa.

Robin Boyd profiled Kikutake in New Directions in Japanese Architecture, and corresponded with him to source photos for the book. The two architects’ contact continued up until Boyd’s death in 1971 - at the time, Boyd was arranging for Kikutake to present a lecture in his Melbourne Oration series. Kikutake gave the lecture in 1972 and remained in contact with Patricia Boyd - the Walsh Street Archive includes a 1971 architectural guidebook and a 1975 Season’s Greetings card, both from Kikutake to Patricia.