Big Roof Wide

I've been going down to Masuda a lot recently so I took the opportunity to revisit Grand Toit with a wide-angle lens.

Grand Toit, from the French for "Big Roof" is the unofficial name of the Shimane Arts center, so named because the building is clad in locally produced kawara, rooftiles.

Opened in 2005 and designed by Naito Hiroshi, I must admit that the building has grown on me. The light inside, and the space of the internal pool are very nice, though the overall form of the building from a distance is still not appealing to me.

This time I paid to go in and see an exhibition in the main gallery, but as yet I have not been inside the auditorium.

My favorite aspect of the building though is the highly polished wooden floor and its reflections. I'll post more of those shots later.

For more posts on Grand Toit click here

Grand Toit (inside part 2)

The inside of Shimane Arts center in Masuda, known as Grand Toit, has always fascinated me each time I visit.

The floors and walls are of highly-polished wood, so that with the changes in light due to the passing of the seasons, the time of day, and the weather, create an everchanging display of reflections.

More inside Grand Toit

Outside Grand Toit

Grand Toit (Inside.)

The Shimane Arts Center, known as "Grand Toit" was designed by Naito Hiroshi and opened in 2005. Located in Masuda, at the western end of Iwami, the building is built around a courtyard with a shallow reflecting pool. There is probably a correct architectural name for such a feature, but I don't know it.

Pictures of the outside of the building can be seen here

The reflections of the buildings tiles with the tiles under the water makes for some interesting effects.

At night a whole new universe of reflections comes alive!

Grand Toit (outside)

The Shimane Arts Center in Masuda combines galleries and performance spaces. Opened in 2005, and designed by Naito Hiroshi, the rectilinear boxes of the design is unusual in being clad by more than 250,000 rooftiles, hence the building is commonly known as Grand Toit, from the french for big roof.

The rooftiles were made up the coast at Gotsu in the reddish-brown color typical of the region.

Externally the design is not particularly noteworthy, but inside is spectacular.

See photos inside Grand Toit here