History:

Antonin Raymond was born in Kladno, Bohemian City of Czechoslovakia in 1888. After graduating from Czech Technical University in Prague, he immigrated to the U.S.A. and worked in the office of Cass Gilbert. In 1916, he got a chance to work for Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1919, he originally came to Japan with Frank Lloyd Wright for the project of the Imperial Hotel.  At that time he was strongly influenced by Wright.  After becoming independent, he escaped from the influence and established higher Japanese modern design for Reinanzaka House (1924) with exposed concrete.  Then, he designed Tokyo Golf Club (1930) with white external wall and Antonin Raymond's Summer House (1933) with Le Corbusier's style. In 1937, as the war became more serious, he returned to the U.S.A. Staying at his farm in New Hope, he mostly engaged in designing residences and facilities for US military on the US east coast for ten years.

After the war, he came to Japan in 1948 for the development of the Oku-Tadami River Dam by the request of an old Japanese friend. Reopening his office in Tokyo, he established the foundation of Pacific Consultants in 1951. First, as American companies started post-war activities, he designed Socony residences (1949-50), Readers' Digest Office Building (1949-51), and the National City Bank Building (1951-52). Second, as Japanese companies regenerated, he designed Nippon Gakki Bldg. (1950-51), Yodogawa Seiko Co. Office Bldg. (1951-52), and Yawata Steel Mill Co. Memorial Gymnasium (1955-56). Furthermore, he designed many outstanding works among churches, chapels and academic buildings continuously.

At last he died at his farm in New Hope, Pennsylvania, the U.S.A. in 1976. He designed about 400 significant buildings including 140 residences. He surely established a history of Modernism Architecture and was called "a Father of Modernism Architecture in Japan".