Architecture
The National Art Center, Tokyo has a total of 14,000 square meters of exhibition space, one of the largest in Japan. In addition to the twelve exhibition galleries, the NACT is equipped with the Art Library, an auditorium, and three lecture rooms. Additional facilities include a restaurant, three cafes, and a museum shop.
Designed following the concept of “an Art Center surrounded by green spaces”, the facade of the NACT is a beautiful wavelike glass wall, creating a unique look with its conical main entrance. From the lobby on the first floor (1F), through this curtain wall, you can enjoy a view of the many plants and trees thriving in the surrounding areas, such as Aoyama Park. In addition, safety measures and seismic isolation devices in case of earthquakes, energy and resource saving measures - such as reuse of rainwater and underfloor air conditioning system -, Universal design, and a direct access from the Nogizaka Subway Station are examples of the NACT's conscious designs.
Architect
Kisho Kurokawa architect & associates + NIHON SEKKEI, INC.
Kisho Kurokawa
Born in 1934 in Aichi Prefecture.
After graduating from the Department of Architecture at Kyoto University with a bachelor's degree, Kurokawa attended the University of Tokyo, under the supervision of Kenzo Tange.
In 1960, at the age of 26, he cofounded the Metabolist Movement with young architects and colleagues. He established Kisho Kurokawa architect & associates in 1962.
His major works include Nakagin Capsule Tower (Tokyo), Saitama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art (Saitama), Nagoya City Art Museum (Aichi), Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (Hiroshima), The Museum of Modern Art Wakayama/Wakayama Prefectural Museum (Wakayama), Fukui City Art Museum (Fukui), the New Wing of the Van Gogh Museum (Netherlands), and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Malaysia).
Kurokawa was awarded AIJ Prize from the Architectural Institute of Japan, the Japan Art Academy Award, the Order of the Art and Letters (l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) from the French Minister of Culture, and many others. He was selected as Persons of Cultural Merits in 2006.
Kurokawa passed away in October 2007 at the age of 73.
Among the many art museums designed by Kisho Kurokawa, the National Art Center, Tokyo is the last one completed in his lifetime.
Message from Kisho Kurokawa
The National Art Center, Tokyo is the art exhibition facility designed especially for both special exhibitions organized by curators and exhibitions presented by artist associations. The building is designed for the efficient delivery and removal of works of art, making it possible to carry on several exhibitions at the same time.
The entrance lobby atrium features 21.6 meters high-ceiling and the undulated glass façade. The energy-saving design cuts out solar heat and ultraviolet rays, and the building has a symbiotic relationship with the surrounding areas.
I hope people come to enjoy not only works of art, but also the restaurant, cafés, and museum shop, and the Center will function as the heart of art and culture in Tokyo.
NIHON SEKKEI, INC.
The General Design Office was established in 1967. Numerous are NIHON SEKKEI, INC.'s achievements designing museums and art museums. Part of their original designs are The Museum of Art, Kochi, the Iwate Museum of Art, the Yamatane Museum of art, Mie Prefectural Museum, Kochi Castle Museum of History and more. Notable joint-designs are the National Art Center, Tokyo, the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, the Mitsui Memorial Museum and more.
To this day, they still support the National Art Center, Tokyo in its activities as a Corporate Sponsor for operational support.
Overview
- Location:
- 7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Design:
- Kisho Kurokawa architect & associates + NIHON SEKKEI, INC.
- Constructors:
- Kajima-Taisei-Matsumura Corporation JV, Shimizu-Obayashi-Mitsui Corporation JV
- Ground breaking:
- July 16, 2002
- Completion:
- May 31, 2006
- Floors:
- Four above-ground floors (including 2nd and 3rd floor mezzanines) and one basement level
- Structure material:
- Steel (including steel-reinforced concrete)
- Building area:
- 12,989.56㎡
- Total floor area:
- 49,834.12㎡
- Prizes for the NACT's architecture and facilities:
-
- International Architecture Awards 2006 (The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, 2007)
- Good Lighting Award (The Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan, 2007)
- The Japan Society of Seismic Isolation Award (The Japan Society of Seismic Isolation, 2007)
- Good Design Award 2008 (Japan Institute of Design Promotion, 2008)
- BCS Award (Building Contractors Society, 2008)
