"Tadao Ando: The 21_21 Site: A Hard-fought Struggles," a program focusing on the architectural process at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, a design facility within Tokyo Midtown designed by architect Tadao Ando, will be held at the museum's gallery from October 7th to 28th.
The exhibition is a linked project with "Tadao Ando: 10th Anniversary of the National Art Center, Tokyo - Challenge," which will be held at the National Art Center, Tokyo from September 27th. The exhibition will feature a re-release of a carefully selected selection of early architectural ideas and sketches, construction site photographs and footage introduced in the special project "Tadao Ando: The 2006 Site: A Hard-fought Struggles," held in March 2007 when 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT opened. Ando, who has long discussed the future of Japanese design with designer Issey Miyake, founder of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, designed the museum, incorporating the "single piece of cloth" concept underlying Miyake's clothing creations, and designed a distinctive roof resembling a folded "single sheet of steel." The exhibition explores this process, the appeal of Ando's architecture, which he envisioned as a space where the excitement of discovery and encounters is born, and the meticulous craftsmanship of Japan's outstanding technology and artisans, all while exploring the space of Gallery 3, which opened in March of this year. Regarding the "single sheet of steel" that characterizes the architecture, Ando said, "It's easy to present a concept and draw a picture, but actually building it was expected to be extremely difficult. It was the technical ability of the people involved in the construction that made it possible. It once again brought home to me the high level of Japanese construction technology."
During the exhibition, a limited-time shop will be set up offering books about Tadao Ando, as well as original goods such as "21_21 Miniature Architectural Models" (2,800 yen), "21_21 Tote Bags" (2,700 yen), and "21_21 Logo Stickers" (300 yen).
[Exhibition Information]
"Tadao Ando: 21_21 Site: The Hard-Working Struggles"
Dates: October 7th - October 28th
Venue: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Gallery 3
Address: Tokyo Midtown Midtown Garden, 9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00 - 19:00
Closed: Tuesdays (Galleries 1 and 2 will be closed from October 2nd to 19th due to exhibition changes)
Admission is free
