Failure Not Allowed

While this was going on, something happened to remind the company of the historical value of the former Hibiya Daibiru Buildings. The former Hibiya Daibiru Buildings, designed by Setsu Watanabe, were highly artistic edifices. Building No. 1 used Romanesque styling, and Building No. 2 used Gothic Art Deco styling, which were both based on Medieval European styles. Mounted on the exterior walls as talismans were 127 ceramic heads of seven different creatures, including lions, gargoyles, and pigs. Furthermore, a bronze goddess statue and hero statue by Teizo Okuni were positioned by the left and right walls at entrance to Building No. 1. Architectural historians regarded the buildings as “an ambitious experiment unlike any other,” so when news of their impending demolition was reported, people from all over Japan asked if it would be possible to at least save the walls with the animal heads. Due to these requests, the gargoyle, pig, and lion heads were removed before demolition and were eventually reused for the new Hibiya Daibiru Building. The bronze goddess statue and hero statue from the first-floor entrance were also put back on display as before.

Phase I of construction took place right in the middle of the bubble economy while there was a surge in building construction in Tokyo. Shortages of materials and labor were so severe that the builder struggled to secure them, and it looked as though construction might fall behind schedule. However, thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, phase I was completed as originally planned, and the building was able to open with a completion ceremony on October 4, 1989. The company was ready to proceed with phase II construction, but despite some minor delays due to concerns about the preservation of the building’s historical value, it was completed and unveiled in 1991.

The Hibiya Daibiru Building rebuilding project was thus completed. It was a project with great significance. As pointed out earlier, this was Daibiru’s first attempt to rebuild a building that was still in use. Actually, strictly speaking, it was a project that even Daibiru’s competitors had practically no experience with. Practically none of them had undergone the experience of securing a site for relocation, developing a plan, and carrying out demolition and construction at a rapid pace. For that reason, the industry took note of the project, and many of Daibiru’s competitors were watching to see how it turned out.

As the rebuilding of commercial buildings was an inevitable undertaking that was certain to become more widespread, Daibiru’s reputation was greatly enhanced by the fact that it had completed the project according to plan. In a sense, the Hibiya Daibiru Building rebuilding project was one that could not be allowed to fail, because the future success of Daibiru’s management depended on it.