Tomihiro Museum
of Shi Ga

A shortlisted competition proposal for a museum in Azume, Japan

This The museum and forecourt form a new multifunctional public space for Azuma village .
The ground floor and auditorium form an extension of the exterior domain (separately useable outside museum opening hours), together providing spaces for activities such as concerts, lectures, films, markets, etc.

The museum connects the forecourt with the lake, by inhabiting the slope ;The wood cladded slope with ditto ramps, guides the visitor through a landscape of different spaces, each providing it’s own unique connection with the surrounding landscape and it’s own sense of intimacy with the exhibited works of art.

The ramp system allows visitors of all abilities to freely wonder through the museum.
A structural skin of wooden louvres with clear glazing in between, wraps the site, regulating internal lighting and the relationship between exterior and interior :Depending on one’s viewing position, the skin offers views outside or screens them off, creating both transparency and privacy.

Viewing the Shi-Ga works hung in this landscape of different quality spaces, will allow each visitor to have a uniquely personal experience of both the works of art and the beautiful landscape of Azuma village.