The Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is a circular, glass-walled museum on Hirosaka Street, a short walk from Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle. It opened in 2004 and shows art made since 1980, mostly installations, video and mixed-media work, both Japanese and international. The building has no main entrance, so you can approach from any side. Much of the museum is free: outdoor installations, an art library, a cafe, a shop and a children's area. Paid tickets cover the exhibition zone and the underground chamber of Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool.
A round museum with no front door
The museum opened in 2004 and was designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the architecture office SANAA. The building is a circle 112.5 metres across, with glass walls and no facade, no front and no back. Visitors can walk in from several directions and choose their own route between the galleries, which are scattered through the building.
The design won the Golden Lion at the 2004 Venice Architecture Biennale, and SANAA received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2010. The museum was founded with the aim of creating new culture and reviving the local community. It was conceived as a park-like place that anyone can drop into at any time, and locals call it Marubi.
After dark the glass wall is lit from inside, and the low round shape has been compared to a landed flying saucer.
The free zone and the paid zone
The museum is divided into an exhibition zone and a public zone. The exhibition zone needs a ticket and holds the temporary shows, which change regularly and mix Japanese and international artists. Past exhibitions have included a Gerhard Richter retrospective and the work of the photographer Araki Nobuyoshi.
The public zone is free. It has an art library, a cafe and a restaurant, a shop with stationery, a children's area and workshops for children. Programmes are held there throughout the year. Outside, installations stand on the lawns, and some are meant to be used, including large funnels in the ground that let two people talk to each other from a distance.
The collection concentrates on art produced since 1980. Expect installations, video and mixed-media work.
Swimming Pool and other works to look for
Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool is the museum's best-known work. From above it looks like a pool filled with a thin layer of water. Below the glass is a dry chamber, where people standing at the bottom appear to be underwater. Looking down at the pool from the upper level is free. Entering the chamber needs a ticket, and a reserved time slot is required.
Olafur Eliasson's Color Activity House, made of glass in three primary colours, is one of the first works you meet on arrival. Its colours seem to change with your position. James Turrell's Blue Planet Sky is among the permanent works, alongside pieces such as Wrapping, a favourite with children, and Maru, a spherical piece.
Some works frame the sky through a cut-out in the ceiling, and many invite you to move around them or take part.
Getting there and fitting it into the day
The museum is about 10 minutes by bus from Kanazawa Station, and the Kanazawa Loop bus stops nearby. From Kenrokuen Garden, cross the road at the Mayumi-zakaguchi exit and you are at the museum within a couple of minutes. It is about a 12-minute walk from Kanazawa Castle.
An evening walk also works well. From the Korinbo shopping area, follow Hirosaka Street toward Kenrokuen. The route passes the brick Ishikawa Four High School Memorial Cultural Exchange Center and the Shiinoki Cultural Complex, with the lit stone walls of Kanazawa Castle in the distance.
The building has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, elevator, restroom and parking, and changing tables are provided. The car park is paid.
Perguntas frequentes
Is there an entry fee for the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art?
The public zone and the outdoor installations are free. The exhibition zone and the Swimming Pool chamber need a ticket. Current prices are on the museum's website.
How long do you need at the museum?
About an hour covers the free areas and one paid exhibition. Allow more time if you want to use the library or cafe, or see a larger special exhibition.
Do you need to book for the Swimming Pool?
Yes, entering the underground chamber requires a reserved time slot. You can look down on the pool from above without a ticket.
When is the museum closed?
It is closed on Mondays. It opens at 10 am, and on Fridays and Saturdays it stays open until 8 pm.
How far is the museum from Kenrokuen Garden?
It is about a two-minute walk. Leave the garden by the Mayumi-zakaguchi exit and cross the road.
