Towada Art Center

Towada Art Center is a central facility within the Arts Towada Project to provide new experiences through art as an institution committed to inspiring future creativity.

The Art Center houses a permanent exhibition of works by international artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara and Ron Mueck on the theme of `human and nature’. By displaying a single work in each exhibition room, the Art Center allows visitors to feel as if they are stepping inside the artworks. The architecture is distinctive for its exhibition rooms of varying sizes linked by a glass corridor, which gives visitors the feeling of walking through a house of art. Visitors can enjoy art throughout the city, with artworks placed not only within the Art Center itself but also in nearby open spaces and shopping streets.

Some of the most striking features of the Towada Art Center are the independent exhibition rooms that act as “houses for art,” interspersed throughout the facility and connected to each other by glass corridors. Dividing the spaces has allowed for better customization of the space to each artwork, creating a sense of intimacy and harmony within each room. The idea of interspersion came from the design of Towada’s main arterial–Kanchogaidori Avenue–where buildings and open spaces intertwine. The city itself organically mingles with art.

The building is filled with juxtaposition of large and small, creating a sense of continuity with the dynamism of the street outside, which is also lined with buildings large and small. This unique design also allows for the placement of outdoor exhibition spaces and event spaces, making it possible for visitors to simultaneously experience indoor and outdoor art.

Many of the exhibition spaces have wide glass openings that face in different directions, creating a sense that the artworks are exhibited for the city outside as well.

Architect: Ryue Nishizawa