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Architects: Jun Aoki & Associates, Tezzo Nishizawa Architects
- Area: 8205 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Daici Ano, Takeru Koroda
Text description provided by the architects. The main building of the Kyoto City Museum of Art (renamed the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art) is the oldest public museum architecture that represents the Imperial Crown Style, the emerging architectural style that amalgamates the Japanese traditional architectural elements and the Western-styled buildings.
The beloved museum by the people of and outside of Kyoto since its opening in 1933 does not appeal to the functionality needs that have transcended for over 80 years. Specifically, its overcrowded lobby, ticketing, information desks, coin lockers, washrooms, and other basic museum functionalities were no longer sufficient, as well as the exhibition areas were not able to accommodate large-scale contemporary arts that require spatial flexibility. The goal has been set naturally: conservation and utilization. Two opposite ends of the spectrum are what to achieve by preserving the museum’s most genuine posture and responding to the modern requirements.
Penetrating the traffic from West to East of the main building is the backbone of the overall design. In front of the West façade, the slopes that go down towards the center of the building are introduced and they lead to the new Main Entrance that is renovated from the underground cloakroom.
Visitors walk the stairs up to the Central Hall (former Main Gallery) and through to the Japanese Garden on the Eastside. Other additions to the building are the newly built extension dedicated to the contemporary art exhibitions, storage, barrier-free equipment, revived inner courtyards, café, and museum shops.
