The main formative element of this building was its roof, which Kengo Kuma interpreted as a composition of many triangles connected at different angles. The resulting volume can be compared to origami, although the architect himself did not necessarily strive to develop the techniques of this ancient art here - rather, he was interested in the possibility of integrating the building into the surrounding traditional buildings.
And although the area of the two-story museum exceeds 4,000 m2, it is precisely due to its complex roof that it does not look too elongated or large against the background of its nearest neighbors. On the contrary, numerous skates and ramps visually divide the volume into many separate "houses", making it a logical and scaled addition to the landscape. The different cladding of the slopes and walls of the building also helps to achieve this feeling - some triangles here are extended to the ground and serve as supporting structures, allowing you to make the museum plan as permeable as possible.
The museum complex also includes a small ceramics studio, for which Kengo Kuma designed an openwork wooden canopy assembled from small triangular panels. Due to the use of compact modules (no more than 2.5 m along the long side of the triangle), this design can be extended as needed. In fact, the architect assembles a volumetric lattice from them - a kind of pergola, the central part of which he uses as a frame for a suspended ceiling, which makes the workshop space more intimate and cozy. Its "creative" character is also emphasized by the arbitrary arrangement of columns and wall panels: instead of solid enclosing structures, the architect created here a conditional screen through which both the new museum and the surrounding landscape are clearly visible.
