At the time Kondo received his education, Japan was borrowing extensively from Western-style architecture. As his first show of talent, Kondo designed the Hsimen Market in the shape of a cross, and added an eight-sided building as the market's entrance.
近藤十郎受教育的年代，正是西洋風格建築被大量引進日本的時候；初顯身手的近藤十郎設計了「十」字型的西門市場主體，再添上「八角樓」做為市場出入口，而這個「八角樓」就是目前通稱的「紅樓」。