Toyo Ito Museumu of Architecture

Japan's first architectural museum that exhibits the works of Toyo Ito. Toyo Ito has won numerous awards and has been attracting attention from all over the world. There are exhibitions on not only drawings and buildings designed by Toyo Ito, but there are also models of buildings made by Ito on display. In addition, there is a workshop space which is set up in the Silver Hut. Both facilities were designed by Toyo Ito and the facilities themselves are also exhibits.

An architectural museum with the glistening sea in the background

The exterior of the iron plate which represents the shipbuilding kingdom of Imabari harmonizes with the background of the sea.

Steel Hut

"Steel Hut" is a building made up of polyhedrons made of iron plates

Silver Hut

Reproduction of Toyo Ito's own residence "Silver Hut"

Architecture by world-famous architect Toyo Ito

The project was originally the initiative of a wealthy art collector, Atsuo Tokoro, and his gallerist, Koji Hasegawa, who together had built a small museum on the island in 2004 to house Tokoro’s collection of contemporary sculpture. On July 30th When Tokoro decided to build an annex to the facility, Hasegawa recommended that he approach Ito for the job.
The museum consists of two buildings: Steel Hut where Toyo Ito's works are exhibited and Silver Hut, an archive building that reproduces the residence where Mr. Ito once lived. There are exhibitions on not only drawings and buildings designed by Toyo Ito, but there are also models of building made by Ito on display . In addition, there is a workshop space which is set up in the Silver Hut. Both facilities were designed by Toyo Ito and the facilities themselves are also exhibits.
On the island there is the Tokoro museum where sculptures are currently exhibited, and there are several other art exhibitions such as the Imabari City Iwata Ken Mother and Child Museum that exhibits the sculptures of the sculptor Ken Iwata and the Murakami Mishima Memorial Museum.

Toyo Ito Museumu of Architecture
Online tour

The mystery of the Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture

According to which characteristic can you describe the Steel Hut found at the museum as a building?
A. Almost all of the exterior and interior of the hut are made of steel
B. Few internal and external vertical surfaces can be seen
C. The building can rotate and change it's orientation

Explore the 11 facility pages of
the Shimanami Art Museum and
challenge the mystery!
Click here for stamps↓

Shimanami Art Museum
Online Tour.

Explore the website pages of the museum and Challenge yourself by solving the mysteries!
Get a voucher to receive Imabari's specialty goods at the venue.
Press the stamp below and visit each museum page!