Teshima Art Museum is a creative concoction actualized by the efforts of the architect Ryue Nishizawa, founder of SANAA, and artist Rei Naito. It was designed to accommodate the exhibits during the Setouchi International Art Festival in 2010 which took place at the Takamatsu Port area in Japan. The museum was initially conceptualized to be adaptive for an array of art installations but ended up exhibiting just one curated by Naito inspired by Nishizawa’s architecture.
Teshima Art Museum_©Noboru Morikawa Photos
Teshima Art Museum is a representation of biomimetic architecture. It is designed to personate a water droplet that falls on the swift contours, erected to be 4.3 meters at its apex while covering 40 meters by 60 meters on the ground. The elliptical-shaped openings 7 meters along the longer axis in the roof, function as the eyes of the structure and are the drawers of nature viz. light, rain, and breeze into the interiors. The sounds of birds chirping, and sights of them hovering around are caught through these see-through ellipses. Water springing leisurely through pinholes in the floor adds to the meditative experience of the visitors. The water springs from the holes drift along the slope, merges with other, sometimes enlarges, or sometimes falls into another opening in the floor. The entire play of water is so engaging and tranquilizing.
Teshima Art Museum exhibits an epitome of minimalism not just in design and interiors but also in this selection of construction materials. The museum is constructed majorly using concrete. Teshima Art Museum is a shell structure made from a 25 cm thick layer of concrete devoid of any structural members. During the construction of the shell, the formwork of earth and mortar was made encompassing the volume of earth to be used underneath was made. About 10 inches or 25 cm thick shell of concrete was cast over the formwork. Once the exterior shell was hardened the interior formwork was removed where one unites with nature.
Teshima Art Museum exemplifies a thoughtful composition, comprising the greens from rice terraces, the blues from the water of the inland sea, and the white structure itself. The sheer white edifice stands in holistic harmony with its surroundings rather than overpowering them. The creators’ team entailed the whole site for development with equivalent sensitivity. They revived the adjacent rice terraces involving the nearby local villagers.
Teshima Art Museum was designed to be utilized as an open gallery that accommodates multiple exhibits but ended up being an exhibit itself in a picturesque setting. The building exemplifies “less is more”, as the minimal concept creates a substantial impact on visitors.
One has to take flight, traverse a considerable distance by road, then take a ferry to reach Teshima Island, where a rented motorbike helps over fatigued public transport. The exhaustive efforts seem fruitful with the glimpse of the white edifice among the articulated landscape. The secluded experience is worth the fussy travel routine. One can sit and observe the frolic movement of light, clouds, birds, or rain from the elliptical openings, while one can also gaze at the play of water droplets springing from the floor of the Museum.
At Teshima Art Museum, the salient exhibit is nature itself. It’s a retreat that detaches people from the hustle and draws them towards serenity. Benesse Art Site Naoshima, an association that manages the functioning of Teshima Art Museum has imposed certain guidelines for visitors to ensure the satisfactory fulfillment of motive. For instance, prior bookings, no carrying bulkier objects, no entry for inks or fountain pens, no smoking or intoxicated peeps allowed to site, no using cellphones, and no disposal of waste on-site. Guests are not allowed to create noise or play any loud music and at some points often told to remove their shoes for a better tranquil experience. The public facilities are also provided in mere numbers to reduce the construction of massier buildings. A cafe with minimum menu options serves cuisine developed from locally grown ingredients. A souvenir shop offers takeaways made from local produce. All possible directives are employed to make sure visitants thoroughly embrace the nature around the building and stimulate all their senses.
Teshima Art Museum has surely outgrown its size for the influence it creates over its witnesses. It is 1958 meter square in size, even smaller than a fairly lavish house but amazes visitants with an array of experiential notations. The museum acts as a medium to capture nature and subdue within. Initially, one might feel an empty place but on starts exploring nature, one can surely immerse deep into it.
References
- Archdaily. (2011, July 19). Teshima Art Museum / Ryue Nishizawa. ArchDaily. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.archdaily.com/151535/teshima-art-museum
- Benesse Art Site Naoshima. (n.d.). Teshima Art Museum. Teshima Art Museum | Art | Benesse Art Site Naoshima. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://benesse-artsite.jp/en/art/teshima-artmuseum.html
- Bernstein, C. (2012, July 27). Teshima: Mesmerizing Art in Nature – Kagawa. Japan Travel. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://en.japantravel.com/kagawa/teshima-mesmerizing-art-in-nature/2159
- kim, e. (2010, December 17). ryue nishizawa: teshima art museum. Designboom. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.designboom.com/architecture/ryue-nishizawa-teshima-art-museum/
- Teshima Art Museum. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teshima_Art_Museum
