NEZU MUSEUM

Japan Commercial Environmental Design Association (JCD) Review

An architect conquers the world through his work. However, this museum started from the realization of architecture amidst the small-scale work Kengo Kuma undertook in the rural regions of Japan in the 1990s when he had no job. This inspired the titles of his books: “Anti-object” and “An Architecture that Loses.” The museum is housed in a phenomenal space, not a cement box, but akin to particles quivering in the air. This means that it is fine for the architecture to not be pronounced and to express defeat instead. This mode of thought spreads to the National Stadium that is now under construction. In the case of the Nezu Museum, this philosophy of the architect does not come forward too strongly, and it is thus a highly refined piece of architecture with a balanced expression. The thinness of the roof and various elements are pursued without a single careless detail.

Architectural design: Kengo Kuma
Award: Mainichi Art Award 2010, BCS Award 2011 by Japan Federation of Construction