Watari-um contemporary art gallery
Tokyo
, Japan
1985-1990
Project
1985 -1988
Construction
1988 -1990
Commissioned by
Hiroshi Watari,
Tokyo
Project management
Takenaka Corporation,
Tokyo
,
Site
157 m²
Area
627 m²
Volume
3'650 m³
The building takes advantage of the regular geometry offered by a triangular plot at the intersection of a mayor thoroughfare and a secondary side street. The confluence of the two façades is emphasised by the cut-out silhouette of the emergency stairway which projects up ahead the main façade with a curving skin, and also by the entrance to the building, an outstanding presence at grade level.
The long incision which runs down through the middle of the façade to conclude at the base with a large rectangular display window is the only reference here to the internal organization of the building, which is articulated over six floors. The ground floor and basement are occupied by a bookshop; on the first, second and third floor are the exhibition rooms of the art gallery, while the top floors accommodate the offices and the owner's residence.
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