TOKYO – Standing outside Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a temporary pavilion is an angular series of triangles.
‘I wanted to create a pavilion that resembled a single tree,’ says architect Akihisa Hirata. ‘Trees have a symbolic shape while simultaneously producing shade and providing an ideal space for mankind.’
Hirata says he designed the structure to resemble a tree, then added uneven surface ‘pleats’ that grew upwards and outwards. The result includes hundreds of isosceles triangles, mixed and matched at various angles to create what’s called a ‘hyplane’ structure with a continuous, curved surface.
The structure is located at the museum’s entrance plaza and will be used to hose temporary exhibitions. It has been created as part of Bloomberg’s program to support art and cultural activities.
Photos courtesy of Takumi Ota
