A Bamboo Fence Marks Kengo Kuma designed Museum in Japan

Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) have completed the Taketa History and Culture Museum in Japan connecting it with the history of the surrounding.

 

The Taketa History and Culture Museum situated in Taketa, in Japan’s Oita prefecture known for its mountaintop castle. The castle was originally built in 1185 and now lies in ruins. Sited next to a channel of water, the new building has been designed to appear as a long fence and comprises a white wall and a bamboo lattice, which extends inside the museum.

The bamboo poles continue inside Taketa History and Culture Museum where they form the sloping ceiling of its entrance lobby, as well as the grounds. A bamboo walkway and elevator link the museum with the nearby hillside and historic home of Edo-era painter Tanomura Chikuden, which is part of the cultural experience of the site.

 

 

Kengo Kuma has kept the rest of the materials palette simple, focusing on exposed bamboo, whitewashed walls, polished stone floors and large exhibition spaces. The focus remains on the monuments inside the museum space. When darkness befalls, lights within the building spill out from between the canes emphasising the texture that covers the exteriors.

 

The Taketa History and Culture Museum is located close to one of Taketa’s historic sites – the mountaintop ruins of an 836-year-old castle, which visitors can hike up to after learning about the region’s history inside the museum.

All Images Courtesy KKA