Nakanoshima Museum of Art Osaka / Katsuhiko Endo Architect and Associates

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Osaka, Japan
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  20012 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2021
  • Photographs
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  AGC Glass Kenzai Co. Ltd., Oshirox Co. Ltd., Sanwa Tajima Corporation, TAKAHASHI CURTAIN WALL CORPORATION
  • Lead Architect: Katsuhiko Endo
  • City: Osaka
  • Country: Japan
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Nakanoshima Museum of Art Osaka / Katsuhiko Endo Architect and Associates - Image 2 of 36
© Hiroshi Ueda

Text description provided by the architects. The concept is to design an art museum like a metropolis where a variety of people and activities intersect. It is a museum that can be described as an “urban space”, where anyone can casually visit, learn, relax, enjoy, be inspired, and share knowledge.

Nakanoshima Museum of Art Osaka / Katsuhiko Endo Architect and Associates - Image 7 of 36
© Hiroshi Ueda
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Site Plan

Osaka Nakanoshima, a sandbank lying between two rivers, the Dojima River and the Tosabori River, has been a thriving area for trading and commercial activities since the Middle Ages. Also, this site was an important nexus between the east and west sides of Nakanoshima, thus, making it important to connect the flow of people and guide them in all directions. For this reason, instead of having a “front” of the building to create a specific route, a series of entrances were designed to welcome people in all directions.

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© Hiroshi Ueda
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Plan - First Floor
Nakanoshima Museum of Art Osaka / Katsuhiko Endo Architect and Associates - Image 4 of 36
© Hiroshi Ueda

In preparation for the risk of river flooding in this area, artwork-related storage rooms are positioned on the 3rd floor and above. On the other hand, the 1st and 2nd floors are public spaces that can be used by people other than exhibition visitors. The five-story steel-framed building is composed of the main museum building, designed with a base-isolated structure, and the parking lot building, designed with an earthquake-resistant structure, which is integrated through expansion joints.

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© Hiroshi Ueda
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© Hiroshi Ueda
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Perspective Section
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© Hiroshi Ueda

The external spaces on the 1st and 2nd floors are continuous to the surrounding landscape, being conscious of enhancing urban accessibility. In order to make a seamless connection, it was necessary to eliminate the height difference to the surrounding site. As a result, on top of the “typography” of the 1st and 2nd floors, a clear geometric “architecture” with massive square facades was designed to express the museum as a floating formation in the city.

Nakanoshima Museum of Art Osaka / Katsuhiko Endo Architect and Associates - Image 9 of 36
© Hiroshi Ueda

The 2nd floor is connected to the surrounding public facilities by a walkway deck. A connecting walkway is planned to be further extended to the west side of the building, contributing to the future liveliness of the neighborhood area and the ease of getting around. By designing these complex aspects embedded in a very simple form, we aim to keep exploring what is the key factor in designing architecture today.

Nakanoshima Museum of Art Osaka / Katsuhiko Endo Architect and Associates - Image 11 of 36
© Hiroshi Ueda

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Project location

Address:4-chōme-3-1 Nakanoshima, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0005, Japan

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Nakanoshima Museum of Art Osaka / Katsuhiko Endo Architect and Associates" 25 Nov 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/992779/nakanoshima-museum-of-art-osaka-katsuhiko-endo-architect-and-associates> ISSN 0719-8884

© Hiroshi Ueda

大黑盒,大阪中之岛美术馆 / 远藤克彦建筑研究所

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