Architect Yoshio Taniguchi (Japanese, b. 1937) came to international acclaim in 1997 when he won both his first invited competition and his first international commission for the expansion of The Museum of Modern Art. Although MoMA’s new building is the architect’s first outside of Japan, in his native country he has distinguished himself over the past twenty years as a rare talent of sublimely beautiful architectural spaces, ideal for the display of works of art.
This exhibition presents nine of Taniguchi’s museum designs central to understanding his approach to architecture. The exhibition begins with his first independent museum, the 1978 Shiseido Museum of Art, and ends with his Centennial Hall, which will be part of the Kyoto National Museum upon its completion in 2007. Each building is distinctly modern and characterized by pure geometries, rich materials, and artful construction. Large- and small-scale models of each project, including The Museum of Modern Art’s renovated building, will be presented along with texts, photographs, and drawings.
Organized by Terence Riley, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art.
