Sori Yanagi Center for Design in Tokyo

Sori Yanagi Center for design is a 1,600 square meter building in Shibuya, Tokyo. The museum has been designed for permanent and temporary design exhibition. The museum design consists of geometric variations of a two-dimensional curve. The three-dimensional form of exterior and interior space is originated from a single curve. The curve is the signature of the museum, which is used as functional and graphical element. Every element of the building is used by the curve or a part of the curve. The museum consists of permanent and flexible exhibition rooms, offices, café, store, and education support spaces. In addition, the curve defines the building’s functional elements such as stairs, windows, walls, and lighting.

Museum as a Graphic Element

As a graphic element, Sori Yanagi Center have strong graphical contrast with existing urban fabric. It defines the museum as a design piece as itself. The museum have to be interrelate with the identity of Sori Yanagi’s design language, as well as, the form must closely relate with the function. It also need to be beautiful and blended with the city by its form and materiality.  From several massing studies, I can find out the form which is corresponding Sori yanagi’s design language. Like his design, overall massing of the museum is simple and beautiful. It have aesthetic simplicity and functional complexity at the same time. The form is communicating with the city by the opening on each corner. The city, also, is reflected on the façade because of the building’s materiality. 

Spatial Projection from 2D-Graphic Element

Sori Yanagi Center is the result of spatial projection from 2-dimensional element. The form of the museum is originated from two-dimensional curve. By the projection and intersection from a single curve, the building’s elements and functions are defined. Every element of the building is derived from the curve or a part of the curve. The curve creates interior void and poche, which represents light spaces and dark spaces. The interior void and poche will be used according to exhibition programs and needs of natural lighting. In addition, the curve defines the building’s functional elements such as stairs, windows, walls, and lighting. Because of the these characteristics, the curve locates everywhere in the museum as a graphical and spatial signature.

Museum Program

The overall program of the museum is woven poche and interior void. The poche is the dark space which uses an artificial lighting source. The interior void is the light space which has the window. This interior void mainly uses a natural lighting source. Visitors enter the building through the first poche, and use a spiral circulation to travel through several interior voids and poche. Small design pieces, such as porcelain, bone china, ceramic, cutlery, and utensils, are displayed in the poche which uses an artificial lighting source. Furniture is displayed in the interior void which uses natural lighting source.