To provide a molding unit of an optical element capable of improving eccentricity accuracy and surface accuracy of a molded optical element by correcting the direction of the pressing force applied to the molding, and a molding method.

This molding unit is a molding unit of an optical element by press molding a thermally softened base material of an optical element with a mold, and equipped with a correcting means of the direction of the pressing force applied to the mold 10 when the mold 10 is pressurized by a vertically movable upper heater plate 14. The correcting means is a piezoelectric element 16, and the direction of the pressing force is corrected when the mold 10 is pressurized by the upper heater plate 14, giving vibration to the lower heater plate 15 by the piezoelectric element 16 and temporarily cutting the contact between the mold 10 and the upper heater plate 14.