PROJECT #:

98-034

PROJECT NAME:

Uemura Naomi Memorial Museum

ARCHITECT:

Akira Kurya
A. Kuryu Architect & Assoc. Co., Ltd
1-2-12 Yushima Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo, JAPAN

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION:

Uemura Naomi Memorial Museum
The Uemura Naomi Memorial Museum was constructed in his birthplace as a memorial center to give testimony to his bold achievements.

When UEMURA started on an adventure, he would never try to conquer the awesome forces of nature against him. He tried to make himself part of nature and followed suit after what nature offered. The planning for this Memorial museum started with the planners’ appreciation of Uemura’s respect for a meaningful dialog with nature. The fundamental goals the planners agreed upon were to preserve Uemura’s fundamental impression of nature as much as possible and to make the presence of the museum building contribute to the improvement of the beauty of the natural environment in his birthplace. While having a feeling of awe in the face of the mighty forces of nature, the existence of human beings, the power of will, and the dighty of man is also embodied in the museum. The planners thought it reasonable and suitable for them to realize an ‘environmental totality’ by integrating nature, architecture, and an exhibition all to represent the spirit of the adventurer.

A seemingly never-ending single line path symbolically presents Uemura’s "Challenge to Distance." At the same time it presents the image of a crevice that cuts the ground surface sharply. Staring with an inclined approach, the exhibition rooms, library, and screen-projection room stand one after another along this path. The path runs through the building and further extends to the view terrace which stretches out over the pond. A glass-made skylight, which presents the image of an ice ridge, shows its surface above the ground. The skylight provides natural light for the underground path and also serves as a ‘memorial wall’ which carries descriptions on Uemura’s life and achievements.