Friday, August 13, 2010

"Okuno Building Basement Details/Mysteries (Side-A)" August 2010

In the well and pump room, there is a what appears to be a sidewalk-style skylight at the back of the room, which is covered by concrete on the outside now.  External fire damage in 1945 probably damaged the glass.

This bricked in space behind heavy steel doors is a mystery to everyone I've spoken with.  The evident haste with which the bricks have been put in adds to the mystery....
The only half-plausible idea I've been able to imagine for what this was, is that maybe it was a coal chute for the originally configured building's boiler, which was most likely on this side, the basement of the original half of the building, next to the well and pump room.

For more details on the Okuno Building, click here.

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

2 comments:

jacqui + erik said...

i really, really, like that 2nd picture a lot. it really is mysterious!

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon said...

I would love to have permission to remove that brick wall and find out what is back there! - LHS