Imperial Hotel: Tokyo
“Starchitect” Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel in Tokyo was more than just a stunning example of his famous style, it was also something of a survivor. Standing from the 1920s to the 1960s, the building managed to outlast even the 1923 earthquake that rocked Tokyo and destroyed many of its buildings.
The hotel was sinking into the mud a few decades later, however, and was taken down over the objections of architectural devotees and historic preservationists. The central lobby and reflecting pool were preserved, and can now be seen in the Meiji-mura museum in Inuyama.
