The only work of German architect Bruno Taut left the building which exists in Japan: An important cultural property “Kyu-Hyuga-Bettei Atami Hyuga Villa” is a villa owned by Rihei Hyuga who played an active part in the trade in Asia, he purchased land with hot spring in 1933 at Kasugacho, Atami and start building next year of 1934 to 1936.

The design of wooden 2 story building was done by Jin Watanabe who is known as designer of Wako Building of Ginza, Tokyo, Tokyo Ueno National Museum of Art, and Aichi prefectural government office.

The site locates in a steep slope toward the sea, it has a basement with steel reinforced concrete construction in substitution for sand guards and made garden on the rooftop, and a detached basement room is the design of Bruno Taut in 1936.

The floor is consisted of three rooms. A reception hall using plenty of bamboo and a paulownia, double-decked Western-style room and the Japanese-style room, which Taut likened three Musicians, Beethoven, Mozart and Bach.

Taut was deeply impressed by nature, splendor of beauty and the wonder of traditional culture of the Japanese buildings such as Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa and Ise Grand Shrine, attempted an eager trial to express Western style in the original Japanese style as good as achieving various coloration in space. (thought that there was participation of Goh Tamura the landscape gardener equal to the son-in-law of Rihe Hyuga in the garden)

It was used as a sanitarium of the private enterprises from 1952 but in November 2004 with the contribution made by a woman resident in Tokyo Atami City acquired this property.
This place was chosen in 2003 by DOCOMOMO (established in 1989 by the proposal of Professor Hubert-Jan Henket of Technische Universiteit Eindhoven of Netherlands an international organization of “the environmental documentation and preservation for the modern architecture”) and designated as a Atami City designation tangible cultural property (building) in August 2005.
It was designated as the important cultural property designation of the country for buildingin July 2006.

Opened to the public since 24 September 2005
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