Yoyogi National Gymnasium

High school (ages 12+)
Sports & Games

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/yoyogi-national-gymnasium

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Yoyogi National Gymnasium built?1964
2. What is the location?Yoyogi Park, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, Japan
3. What is the architectural style?Japanese Modernism
4. Why does the gymnasium have a special roof?Its roof uses huge steel cables like a suspension bridge, so the inside has no columns and everyone can see the games.
5. How many people can sit in the gymnasium?The gymnasium can hold about 12,898 spectators in a 4,000‑square‑meter open space.

Suspension Roof: A roof system where the primary structural elements are tension members, typically cables, allowing for large, open spans.
Kenzo Tange: A Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect renowned for his synthesis of traditional Japanese aesthetics with modernist principles.
Catenary Curve: The curve that an idealized hanging chain or cable assumes under its own weight when supported only at its ends. This shape is crucial for efficient load distribution in suspension structures.
Modernism: An architectural movement characterized by simplicity of form, rejection of ornament, and emphasis on function and new materials.