Kumamoto Decorative Tumulus Museum

 

These are just some architecture shots of the museum I posted on last. This time I use the name that is listed in the official Kumamoto Artpolis listings, in which the museum is included.

It opened in 1993 and was designed by Tadao Ando, one of the best known modern Japanese arhitects, though many dislike his obsessive use of plain concrete.

From a purely photographic viewpoint I really like his work as it allows me to take strong, abstract photos with lots of curves and shadows.

A typical feature of many Ando designs is a great, sunken, circular space that brings the sky into the design, something he also often does with great expanses of water reflecting the sky.

More of my visits to Tadao Ando works can be found here. Some of the older posts have lost their photos. If you have any particular desire to see them or if you would like to see more posts on Ando Tadao, please leave me a message in the comments.

Posts on other works in the Kumamoto Artpolis Project are here

Decorated Tombs Museum Kumamoto

Tombs Museum

The Kumamoto Decorated Tombs Museum is located a few miles from Yamaga, north of Kumamoto City. It is sometimes referred to as the Forest of Tombs Museum.

The museum is situated in the middle of an area that has a high concentration of burial mounds of different sizes including the largest, a so-called keyhole tomb.

Burial mounds, tumulus in Latin, are found all over the world, called barrows in England, cairns in Scotland, and kofun in Japan where the name is applied to a historical period, the Kofun Period,  which runs from about 300 to 538 AD.

Burial chambers within the mounds that were decorated, either with carving or painted were in a minority, with a few being found in the Nara/Kinki area, but most being found in northern Kyushu. Of course there may well be more in the Nara region but the tombs there are not excavated. The official reason given is  to protect the dignity of the imperial ancestors, but many believe it is to avoid questions about the origins of the imperial clans.

The kofun, like so much technology, was imported into Japan from the Korean Peninsula. Decorated tombs, in particular, seem to have the strongest link with the kingdom of Paekche. On display inside the museum are many replicas of these decorated tombs. I believe they were originally created for a major national exhibition on decorated tombs in 1993.

While approaching the museum I also passed by another unusual type of burial, tunnel burials, where small tunnels were excavated into the rock face, kind of like pigeonholes or left luggage lockers

Komyoji Interiors

The main hall of Komyoji Temple in Saijo on Shikoku is entered through a glass corridor that traverses the poolof water surrounding the building. The main construction material is laminated wood. The roof is supported by 16 columns in groups of four.

It was designed by Tadao Ando and he writes that the design evolved but by bit and was influenced heavily by traditional architectural techniques. The result is I think very modern and minimal but certainly retains some feelig of being a traditional temple.

The use of many pieces of wood in the structure of the roof is certainly traditional. However it is much lighter inside than a normal temple.

The interior walls are frosted glass which somewhat mimics the paper screens of tradition,

It is free to enter and would recommend it as an unusual Ando structure. It is a short detour from the Ohenro pilgrimage route that passes through the town.

Tadao Ando's Komyoji Temple

Komyoji Temple

When Komyoji Temple in Saijo on Shikoku decided to rebuild the temple they chose Ando Tadao to design it. Probably the best known internationally of contemporary Japanese architects, Ando is primarily associated with concrete.

Some of the ancillary buildings are made of concrete but the temple's main hall is made out of wood. Somewhat minimal, but inspired by traditional temple architecture, the main hall is surrounded by a shallow pool of water, another Ando trademark.

I had visited the temple once before, on a cloudy day, and took the opportunity to revisit on a nice sunny day to take advantage of the strong shadows that are often found in Ando's work. Sometimes it is illuminated at night, but not the day I visited.

If there is enough interest then I will post photos taken in the interior.

Purchase a selection of ema from GoodsFromJapan

Ando's Inamori Auditorium in Kagoshima

While I was in Kagoshima I took the opportunity to visit the Inamori Auditorium on the campus of Kagoshima University. It was built in 1994 and was designed by famed architect Tadao Ando.

It's not one of his better known works, but does feature some of his trademarks, most obviously the use of undecorated concrete. However its main feature is a huge concrete egg that partially protrudes through the glass facade.

I would have liked to explore the interior space but the building was all locked up. Generally people either love or hate Ando's work. I like it.

I like the geometric division of space, the use of light and shade as well as reflection. I find his structures great for exploring and discovering.......

Onomichi City Museum of Art

The Museum of Art in Onomichi, Hiroshima, is located on top of the mountain overlooking the town and the nearby islands.

It was designed by world-famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando, and while the combination of modern glass and steel with the traditional curved roof is interesting, it is in my opinion not one of his better designs.

The museum hosts various changing exhibitions and has a cafe with great views.

It is possible to drive up, but the easiest way is to take the Senkoji Ropeway. The museum is a few minbutes walk from the mountaintop station.

It's open from 9 to 5 and is closed on Mondays.

Ando's Spiral Staircase revisited

One of the features of Tadao Ando's Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is the exterior spiral staircase.

I posted some other photos of it previously here

Spiral staircases are extremely easy to take good photos of...... its in their nature....

But I was also fortunate to catch it with some strong light and shadows....

Other posts on the museum here and here

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art part 2

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art in Kobe is usually pictured from the sea front, but the entrance is at the back of ther building on the road and while it is less dramatic it is also interesting.

Photos of thye front can be found here

It was designed by tadao Ando and opened in 2002.

The museums collection is of modern art, both japanese and foreign, with special emphasis on sculpture and prints.

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art revisited

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art sits on the waterfront in Kobe and was constructed in 2002 as part of the cities post-earthquake revitalization.

Earlier I posted on one of the features of the architecture, the spiral staircase

The museum primarily consists of 3 glass structures each with an overhanging roof. The 3 structures are set on a base of white granite with steps that lead down to the waterfront.

The museum was designed by Tadao Ando and has more than a passing resemblance to his Fort Worth Museum he built a little later.

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is located on the waterfront in Kobe, and was opened in 2002 as part of the post-earthquake reconstruction.

Designed by Tadao Ando, an architect I am coming to appreciate more and more. The Hyogo musuem is in many ways similar to the Fort Worth museum he built at around the same time.

I will post more later, but for now here are some of the spiral staircase between 2 of the 3 main buildings.