[Architecture] Yatsugatake Museum of Art (Togo Murano) Embraced by a Refreshing Highland Forest
The Yatsugatake Mountains are located almost in the center of the Japanese archipelago. Many mountains, including the highest peak, Mt. Akadake at 2,899 meters, stretch from north to south, but relatively gentle highlands spread out at the foot of these mountains, with fields and vacation homes scattered throughout the nature-rich forests.
A clear, early summer day in the highlands is pleasant for hiking,
and when driving, no word other than "comfortable" comes to mind.
In the midst of such a forest, a certain museum stands.
The Yatsugatake Museum of Art.
It is a village-run museum that opened in 1980 after receiving a donation of works from sculptor Takashi Shimizu, who was born in the local Hara Village, Suwa District.
Takashi Shimizu originally aspired to be a painter, but after encountering the works of Antoine Bourdelle while studying in France, he turned to sculpture. The Yatsugatake Museum of Art exhibits his lifelong body of work, focusing primarily on his sculptures.
The museum's parking lot is located a short distance from the building, and it takes a few minutes to walk through a larch forest to reach the entrance. This enhances the atmosphere of a museum in the mountains.
Above all, it is wonderful to feel so refreshed.
Before long, the building came into view beyond the trees.
The appearance of the connected dome-shaped roofs brings to mind the peaks of the Yatsugatake and Japan Alps.
The Yatsugatake Museum of Art was designed by the master architect Togo Murano. It was designed when he was 88 years old and is said to be a masterpiece of his later years.
The defining feature of this museum is its interior space.
Lace curtains are gathered and hung from the dome ceiling.
Generally, I think architects have a tendency to want to show off their materials and construction methods (a personal bias, perhaps), but here, those are hidden. Or rather, perhaps the curtains are the material and the gathered suspension is the construction method, but most architects would not choose a drape finish like this.
The interior was filled with soft light from the lighting installed behind the curtains and natural light from the windows.
The architect's comments regarding the placement of the works are also interesting.
First, I decided on the location for the preservation and research of Jomon pottery, and then I decided to dedicate all other areas to the display of sculptures. At that moment, a story I had heard from the late Professor Asakura suddenly came to mind. It was about the display of sculptures at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum designed by Professor Shinichiro Okada, and as I recall, the gist of it was that it is problematic for the lines of a building to appear where sculptures are displayed. Come to think of it, Professor Asakura's studio, which is now the Asakura Museum of Sculpture, has no lines. The walls all appear to be curved surfaces. Remembering that, my idea was to create something similar this time. My general concept was to place sculptures on the curved surfaces and place Professor Shimizu's paintings where the lines are formed.
Incidentally, since many Jomon period ruins have been excavated at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains, this facility also serves as the Hara Village History and Folklore Museum. Many Jomon pottery and stone tools excavated from ruins within the village, including the Akyu Ruins which are designated as a national historic site, are on display, and the phrase in the text, 'First, I decided on the location for the preservation and research of Jomon pottery,' refers to this.
Even so, inspecting and maintaining the ceiling must be quite difficult.
How do they replace the lighting behind the curtains?
How often and by what method is the cleaning performed?
This is a look at the curtain replacement that took place in 2010, and it is certainly a tedious task.
Looking at the exhibition room, the green of the forest visible from the windows is also beautiful.
Drawn by such a forest, I walk around the building.
During construction, the building was built to preserve as much of this rich nature as possible. Also, out of consideration for the landscape, the height of the building was kept low.
The number of trees to be cut down was kept to a minimum, and the forest presses right up against the building.
I believe the reason the roof was made into a curved dome shape was partly because a straight-lined box would not fit in an environment of mountains and forests, but it is also said that it was to shorten the construction period on-site. After all, this area is a highland at an altitude of 1,350 meters. The winter cold is severe, and there is snowfall. Therefore, it is better for the construction period to be as short as possible.
The circular outer walls are made of raw cement blocks. A precast concrete dome roof, manufactured in a Tokyo factory, was placed and attached on top. This construction method made it possible to reduce the amount of work required on-site.
Sculptural works are also exhibited outdoors.
I visited in early summer this time, but I would also like to see what it looks like in winter. Though, I suppose it would be too cold?
Actually, after my tour, I had the opportunity to speak with Atsuko Avalos Murano, a photographer and the granddaughter of the architect. She mentioned that her grandfather always kept in mind the goal of creating
a place where people can be human. The Yatsugatake Museum of Art, nestled in nature, is a building that seems to grow right out of the ground, and I found Atsuko's interpretation that the curtains might signify a connection between humans and nature to be quite interesting.
● Regarding the photographs
While photography of the artworks is prohibited at this museum, photography of the architecture is permitted. The boundary between the two is subtle, and while I have tried to ensure that Mr. Shimizu's works do not appear too clearly in this article, if there is any photo that you feel should not be included, please let me know via the comments section or other means.