One of today’s (Nov. 12, 2011) highlights was visiting what is called the Art
Triangle in the Roppongi section of Tokyo. The smallest museum here is
the Design Site project by Tadao Ando. It is a one-story building
stretched along the edge of a small urban park, designed by EDAW, with a
large commercial complex by SOM on the other side of the park. As one
would expect, it is beautifully detailed. The roof appears, and feels,
like it is steel, with a waterproof coating, and all of the joints
ground smooth. The concrete feels like it has been waxed to a smooth,
warm, low-luster sheen. The back of the building is all concrete with
an impossibly long horizontal window cut into it.
Jim Childress, FAIA
Photos courtesy of Jim Childress and Ann Thompson