Sanaa architects

st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan “The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is an enormous catalytic "device", the purpose of which is to convey the "psychological products" of these three C's (C's of "Consciousness," "Collective Intelligence" and "Co-existence“), to visitors, to ensure their effect and to revitalize everyone that comes into contact with the museum”. The low-rise, 112.5m-diameter glass circle is a beautiful, neutral piece of geometry, an idealised ovum that can be entered from four sides, with views through the glass skin extending deep into the building. S a n a a 21 st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan

st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan “The variously proportioned rooms scattered throughout the circle - the model based on the concept of a chain of islands or an urban space - signify the centers that generate values originating in the maldistribution of decentrism and polycentrism, and in remote regions”. The implication of the plan is clear. The configuration of the blocks within the embracing circle could easily be altered, and galleries could be made to function separately or in groups. The purity of their geometric forms makes the plan feel arbitrary, like a dense piece of city without a high street or plaza, pleasing and disorientating. There is no didactic sequence, no inherent narrative, allowing the visitor to make his or her own choices and discoveries 21 st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan

st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan One of the chief aims is to democratise art and open the gallery to a broad audience, not through making a spectacular destination building but with a modest structure in the centre of the city with all the gallery spaces on ground level. Inside is a series of generous circulation spaces (there is only 4072sqm of exhibition space in a total area of 17,069sqm) containing four courtyards and white-box galleries of various proportions, some lit from skylights, others artificially. 21 st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan

st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan The transparent corridors that offer a clear view of the entire museum space encourage "coexistence" in which individuals remain autonomous while sharing personal space with others CORRIDOR SPACES 21 st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan

st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan EXTERIOR SPACES 21 st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan

st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan 21 st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan

st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan 21 st century museum of contemporary art ,kanazawa,japan