This competition entry proposes a structure composed essentially of two buildings which follow the landscape and contours of the site and situation. The two buildings are delineated as the ‘air building’ and the ‘land building’ .
The ‘air building’ is conceived to house the permanent exhibits of Tomihiro’s illustrations and perches atop two landmasses, spanning the water like a bridge. It is constructed primarily of steel and glass. The ‘land building’ nestles into the terrain of a fluvial inlet and houses the offices and lecture areas. It is constructed of concrete tinted with the almost black rock sedimentary deposits found on-site.
Tomihiro was paralysed at an early age and has passed his entire life in a wheelchair, from which he paints delicate watercolours with a brush held in his mouth.
The museum complex proposed by Studio Power reflects the reality of Tomohiro, his life and his work. It reflects the beauty and simplicity of agile lightness perched atop a heavy, immobile body.