The A-bomb Dome was doneted by Hiroshima Prefecture to Hiroshima City in 1953, left almost exactly as it was after the bombing. Over time, however, the structure had deteriorated, with plants and cracks growing in its walls. Minor collapses and falling bricks had made the vicinity dangerous. A fence was built around it in 1962, and entrance was prohibited.
Amid the rising tide for preservation, the Architecture Department in the Engineering School of Hiroshima University began a feasibility study in July 1965, and by July 1966, the Hiroshima City Council had adopted a resolution to preserve the A-bomb Dome. This resolution led to a public fundraising campaign to finance the construction work required for preservation, and the first preservation construction project took place in 1967.
In July 1987, twenty years after the first project, the condition of the A-bomb Dome was surveyed agein, and a variety of tests were performed. The survey showed that structural materials were deterioratihg conspicuously, and the decision was made to implement further repairs with an eye toward long-term preservation.
In 1989, a second fundraising campaign was launched; the second preservation construction project began in October and continued until March 1990.