While architecture is best enjoyed when it is in the form of a full-scale building or structure standing in front of you, the architectural models created to help guide the vision of the full-scale projects can provide a certain beauty, as well. And a new museum in Tokyo plans on showcasing the artistic merit found in these small-scale models while also providing a practical benefit to architects working in the spatially challenged city.
Archi-Depot, which claims to be Japan’s only architectural model museum, allows architects to display study maquettes and final design models to the public, Dezeen reports. The studios pay to rent any of the 116 display shelves to place their models, at once displaying their work to the public while also opening up precious space in what are often very cramped offices.
In order to keep the models in pristine condition, the gallery features carefully maintained temperature and humidity conditions and LED lighting to prevent the models from fading or disfiguring.
QR codes next to each model allow visitors to learn more about each project and Archi-Depot encourages the firms to rotate their models every few months to keep the display from growing stale.
Large scale models of Kengo Kuma’s Aix en Provence Conservatory of Music, a university campus by Riken Yamamoto, and a tree-surrounded school by Kazuhiro Kojima and Kazuko Akamatsu are all on display in the museum. Torafu Architects, Klein Dytham Architecture, Nikken Sekkei, and Sandwich also have work on display.
The gallery, which was launched by Warehouse Terrada, opened in June 2016.
Related Stories
| Oct 10, 2014
A new memorial by Zaha Hadid in Cambodia departs from the expected
The project sees a departure from Hadid’s well-known use of concrete, fiberglass, and resin. Instead, the primary material will be timber, curved and symmetrical like the Angkor Wat and other Cambodian landmarks.
| Sep 25, 2014
Jean Nouvel unveils plans for National Art Museum of China
Of the design, Nouvel describes it as inspired by the simplicity of “a single brush stroke.”
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 24, 2014
Frank Gehry's first building in Latin America will host grand opening on Oct. 2
Gehry's design for the Biomuseo, or Museum of Biodiversity, draws inspiration from the site's natural and cultural surroundings, including local Panamaian tin roofs.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Biloxi’s new Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum is like a ship in a bottle
Nine years after the Museum of Maritime and Seafood Industry in Biloxi, Miss., was damaged by Hurricane Katrina’s 30-foot tidal surge, the museum reopened its doors in a brand new, H3-designed building.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 16, 2014
Shigeru Ban’s design wins Tainan Museum of Fine Arts competition
Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban has won an international competition organized by The Tainan Museum of Art in Taiwan. Ban's design features cascading volumes with an auditorium, classrooms, and exhibition galleries.
| Sep 15, 2014
Ranked: Top international AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of U.S.-based design and construction firms with the most revenue from international projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 15, 2014
Argentina reveals plans for Latin America’s tallest structure
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announces the winning design by MRA+A Álvarez | Bernabó | Sabatini for the capital's new miexed use tower.
