Atsushi Kitagawara's exhibition finds poetry in architecture

Japan Times

2 days ago

Architect Atsushi Kitagawara has always wanted to be a poet of architecture.
'(Figures in) literature, art and philosophy, such as Stephane Mallarme and Marcel Duchamp, who defined the nature of modern art, are crucial elements that inspire my designs,' says Kitagawara. 'I create architecture with the dream of one day becoming a poet like Mallarme.'
Kitagawara, 73, is professor emeritus at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he taught until 2019 encouraging students to pursue experimental approaches to architecture under the banner of 'theatrical urban planning.' This perspective has distinguished Kitagawara from his peers, particularly through an architectural language that incorporates influences from various disciplines across the art spectrum.
His artistic sensibilities are now on view at ' The Constellation of Time and Space ,' the architect's first solo exhibition showcasing his life's work. The year-long retrospective runs through to May 17, 2026 at the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture. Designed by Kitagawara, this building houses the only Keith Haring museum in the world and it is the only queer museum in Japan . Since admission includes the museum's permanent exhibition, visitors are able to immerse themselves in Haring's work before stepping into Kitagawara's world, granting them a comprehensive view of the symbiotic relationship between art and architecture that characterizes his work.
The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum is built among lush nature, on the slopes of Mount Yatsugatake in Yamanashi Prefecture. |
COURTESY OF NAKAMURA KEITH HARING COLLECTION
In addition to running his architecture office, Kitagawara is professor emeritus at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he taught until 2019. |
© TOHA, COURTESY OF NAKAMURA KEITH HARING COLLECTION
'While this exhibition introduces my architectural ideas, it also interprets the design of the museum itself,' Kitagawara says.'I hope that visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the exhibition by first experiencing the building's architecture.'
The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection building includes the six distinct architectural elements — inverted cone, darkness, giant frame, nature, hope and colliding walls — which are also framed as themes for each of the sections of the exhibition that introduce Kitagawara's ethos, essentially creating a meta-retrospective where the venue is at once a main and supporting character.
Other materials on display — over 100 of them — include an ongoing series of drawings and diverse architectural models, some of which contain verses such as excerpts of Mallarme's poem 'A Throw of the Dice will Never Abolish Chance.' There are depictions of Kitagawara's first project, the now-demolished House of Nadja built in 1978, an attempt to translate the essence of Andre Breton's novel 'Nadja' into architectural form.
There are also items that helped shape Kitagawara's creative identity, from butterfly specimens collected during his childhood in rural Nagano Prefecture to books that inspired his design aesthetic.
Architecture constellations
Kitagawara waxes poetic when asked about the name of the exhibition:
'In my head, there are countless ideas scattered like stars,' he says. 'At certain moments, they connect by chance and come together as a piece of architecture. In other words, all the architecture I have designed so far is interconnected.'
A prominent display in the exhibition showcases the initial plans for the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum where each section was imagined as a separate building, creating a cluster of structures that would have required visitors to walk outside to reach each one. The plans were changed so the sections became elements of a single building, but the surrounding area contains its own constellation of Kitagawara works, of which the museum is the main star.
Kitagawara also designed Hotel Key Forest, located within walking distance from the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum. |
© SHIGERU OHNO
The asymmetric angular shapes in the hotel's facade are reflected on the inside as well. |
©️TOHA
A short walk from it is Hotel Keyforest Hokuto , offering luxury boutique accommodation and a cozy interior in a building of asymmetric trapezoid shapes, their sharp edges idiosyncratically extending in different directions. Visitors arriving in the area by train will pass through Kobuchizawa Station , another of Kitagawara's designs, which blends in with the area's natural volcanic landscape through its brown color scheme and effective use of wood.
'Earth, people, architecture: I pursue a balance between these three,' he answers simply when asked what his vision for architecture is.
Kitagawara's buildings in Tokyo stand out from the rectangular office structures. He employs curved lines as exemplified in the Japanese Centre of International P.E.N. and Shibuya's Cinema Rise — the building that first brought him international attention — which also pays homage to surrealism with its melty iron curtains facade, giant mirrors and sculptural peacocks.
Passing the torch
The exhibition marks a turning point in Kitagawara's career. He's stepping back from leading his studio (although he will stay on as an adviser), which has undergone a rebranding that drops his well-known name, a rare occurrence in the world of architecture.
The studio, now named MET Team Architects , is led by three partners in a collaborative setup: Motomi Nishiuchi, Angel Estevez Calvo and Tomohiro Kitaguchi, who all formerly worked under Kitagawara.
The Kitagawara studio is now named MET Team Architects, one letter for each of the three partners that lead it: Motomi Nishiuchi, Angel Estevez Calvo and Tomohiro Kitaguchi. |
COURTESY OF MET TEAM ARCHITECTS
'All three of them have distinct personalities,' Kitagawara says. 'Through inspiring and challenging one another they're capable of producing interesting works together. It's a bit of an old-fashioned expression, but I would call it Aufheben,' he says, citing the German word used by philosopher Georg Hegel to mean both preserving and changing.
Shedding the Kitagawara name presents both opportunities and challenges for the new studio.
'From a company perspective, moving away from the Kitagawara brand might have its drawbacks, but he wanted to support the next generation,' says Estevez, a Spaniard who now finds himself leading one of Japan's premier architecture firms.
While charting their own course, the three architects are set in keeping the bottom-up approach that nurtured them.
'Kitagawara ran his office like his design studio at the Tokyo University of the Arts,' Kitaguchi says. 'It was a creative space where innovative ideas could spark from anyone, no matter their role, and everyone was encouraged to propose new ideas. That's the kind of environment we aim to maintain.'
The original drawings for the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum on display show Kitagawara's initial plans for separate buildings that would have required the visitors to walk outside the forest. |
COURTESY OF ATSUSHI KITAGAWARA AND THE NAKAMURA KEITH HARING COLLECTION MUSEUM
The trio is already hard at work on diverse projects across Japan and the world, including the masterplan for the 6.5-hectare plaza at a new station in the Nagano area for the upcoming Chuo Shinkansen maglev line.
Still, taking over from someone as prominent as Kitagawara is a significant responsibility, Nishiuchi says. 'It feels heavy on our shoulders, but fortunately, we're a team of three that share the responsibility. The fact that we've been working together for a long time makes it easier.'
Kitagawara agrees, quoting a Japanese proverb: 'Three heads are better than one.'
'I want the young architects who have been working alongside me over the years to be able to spread their wings and create freely,' he says.
'The Constellation of Time and Space' runs through May 17, 2016. For more information, visit https://www.nakamura-haring.com.