Description
The location on a hill in sight of one of Japan’s most famous fortifications was decisive in determining the design for the museum dedicated to the philosopher Tetsuro Watsuji (1889-1960). Built in two phases, it contains a collection of documents about the region’s literary figures. While the main building serves primarily for exhibition purposes, the extension contains a library and an archive for the work of the writer Ryotaro Shiba (1923-1996).
The museum itself (Himeji I) consists of two volumes of different heights above a square ground plan; they intersect with each other at an angle of 30 degrees. The tripartite division of the 22.5-metre sides of this square results in a nine-part grid structure. Projected into the third dimension, this becomes a spatial grid that allows the two prisms to appear as more or less deeply sunken cubes that are variously subdivided into open and closed volumes. Around the lower of these two volumes is positioned a cylinder penetrated only by a few narrow window openings. Like the other parts of this ensemble, the cylinder is exposed concrete. Partially girdled by water falling in low cascades, over which a carefully circled ramp leads into the building, the reticence of this architecture reduced to the bare essentials conveys the meditative peace and quiet that is one of the most significant ideals of Zen Buddhism. Serving almost entirely for the presentation of the documents and pictures, the interior intentionally offers continually changing spatial experiences generated by the intersection of the two cubes and a ramp leading along the cylinder wall. Nonetheless, visitors will still be able to find the concentration necessary for the study of the small-scale objects on display.
The extension (Himeji II), laid out on the axis of the existing museum and also partially ringed by water, obeys the same design principles although it is quite different in appearance. An extended glazed cube is also cut through – this time at an angle of 45 degrees – by a cube of concrete, for its part concentrically subdivided.
GA Document 30/1991, pp. 80-91 • The Japan Architect 1/1991, pp. 72-75 • Architectural Design 99/1992, pp. 52-55 • Casabella 599/1993, pp. 52-55, p. 70 and 645/1997, pp. 16-25 • GA Architect 12/1993, Tadao Ando 2, pp. 103-112 • Masao Furuyama, Tadao Ando, Zurich/Munich/London, 1993, pp. 164-165 • Philip Jodidio, Tadao Ando, Cologne 1997, pp. 100-105 • “Tadao Ando 1983-2000.” El Croquis 44+58, Madrid, 2000, pp. 230-245
Drawings
Site plan
Ground floor, Himeji I
Second floor, Himeji I
Ground floor, Himeji II
Second floor, Himeji II
Section through Himeji I
Elevation of Himeji I
Elevation of Himeji II
Photos
View of the entrance area of Himeji I
View of the ramp between the cube and the cylinder, also used as an exhibition room (Himeji I)
Originally published in: Paul von Naredi-Rainer, Museum Buildings: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2004.