21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Contemporary art museum in Hirosaka, Japan
The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is a circular building 112.5 metres in diameter in Hirosaka, Kanazawa, designed by SANAA. Its fully glazed outer wall uses 122 glass panes, and four entrances open onto the surrounding lawn. Inside, galleries of different proportions and light conditions, from glazed ceilings to windowless rooms, range in height from 4 to 12 metres.
The museum's planning began in May 1995, when Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa set up a committee for the city-centre redevelopment plan. After Kanazawa University's attached elementary and junior high schools moved away, a preparation office opened in April 1996 and the basic concept was drawn up in June 1997. SANAA, the team of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, won the design competition in March 1999; construction started in April 2002 and the museum opened on 9 October 2004.
Locals call the museum "Marubi", from marui, "round", after its circular plan; the logo reproduces the floor plan seen from above. Staff wear uniforms created by fashion designer Naoki Takizawa. The collection policy centres on works made since 1980 that propose new values, and many pieces are commissioned for this building.
The section with freely accessible artworks and community spaces stays open until 22:00, while the ticketed exhibition rooms close at 18:00 on weekdays. The different entrances allow direct access to various parts of the building.
The swimming pool installation uses a transparent acrylic sheet covered with a thin layer of water, allowing visitors to meet simultaneously above and below the water surface. This space shows how simple optical effects can change the perception of space and depth.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,738 contributors worldwide.
