RIETVELD + KUROKAWA = VAN GOGH MUSEUM

Photo courtesy of Le Kizz

ESPAÑOL

How interesting is that in the design of the museum dedicated to the great and troubled Vincent Van Gogh, perhaps the most important Dutch painter together with Rembrandt, have converged two masters of architecture: Gerrit Rietveld, an architectural exponent Dutch movement De Stijl or Neoplasticism and the renown Japanese Kisho Kurokawa, one of the founders of the Metabolism Movement and subsequently a theoretician of the architectural movement called symbiosis. Other designers have joined them in the landscaping of external spaces.  As a result,  the Museumplein has become the largest Dutch museum complex.

This video, with the song Vincent by Don Mclean is a tribute to Van Gogh, and shows many more works by the painter to the limited space in this post I may.

RIETVELD and Neoplasticism


Neoplasticism or De Stijl was a Dutch artistic movement developed between 1917 and 1931 and promoted by the artist, critic and theorist Theo Van Doesburg. De Stijl was the name of an academic publication in which Van Doesburg discussed the ideas of this movement.

Piet Mondrian: Composition in red, yellow, blue, black and gray.

Born in painting, Neo was based on the abstraction of all forms of orthogonal lines and planes, and all the primary colors, white and black. While Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) is the best known artist of this movement, Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) it was its most renown architect.

Rietveld began as a furniture designer, and in 1917 created his famous "Red and Blue Chair", which is a three-dimensional expression of the concepts of  the Neoplasticism.

Red and Blue Chair and Chair Zigzag two Rietveld creations

His first and most famous work of architecture, the Schröder house, is a three-dimensional composition based on these pictorial ideas. It has been declared a UNESCO heritage site, and we will discuss about it in more depth in our next post.


Neoplasticism had a big influence on the Bauhaus Movement and subsequently on the development of the modern movement in architecture.

THE FIRST VAN GOGH MUSEUM


Rietveld began designing the Van Gogh Museum from 1963 to 1964. After the architect's death in 1964, the project was completed by his disciples J. Van Dillen and J. van Tricht. The construction of this first building was concluded in 1973. Additionally, in 1999 Martien van Goor added an offices wing that allows better communication between the different blocks in the complex.

Main facade from the street Paulus Potterstraat.

Rear facade to the Museumplein. Note the contemporary addition.

The volumetric composition consists of three overlapping boxes at different heights in a staggered sequence, and organized around a central courtyard. In this space, lit from above, the staircase becomes the central element.

Photos courtesy of Jan Tito

The entrance fromy Paulus Potterstraat Street, is stressed by a horizontal slab covering a lobby; this sort of "floating" elements is very common in Rietveld designs.



KUROKAWA'S INTERVENTION.



Due to a grant from the Japan Foundation, in 1999  an extension to the Rietveld's original museum was carried out. The project was commissioned ti the Japanese master Kisho Kurokawa.

Kurokawa, who shares with Rielveld a love for geometric shapes, proposed a building based on curved lines, based on the outline of an ellipse. Kurokawa champions the concept of symbiosis, a dialogue between two different entities, each with its own personality but seeking a common goal. His proposal is thus a symbiosis between East and West, between the straight and the curved lines, between order and chaos.

Showing humility and respect for his predecessor, Kurokawa buried 3/4 of the building, connecting it with the old museum though an underground passage, in order to minimize its visual impact on the surroundings. However, it is its peculiar titanium curved roof which first catches the visitor's eye .



The oval volume coated in granite is cut diagonally, defining a space that is occupied by a plaza that is eventually filled with water, becoming an abstraction of a Japanese garden.


In the straight wall of the museum stands a metallic, tilted box  that emphasizes Kurokawa's predilection for embedding pure geometric forms on flat surfaces, as he did on the National Art Center in Tokyo, which we had reviewed earlier in this moleskine.



Inside, the light is filtered by the curved roof and it is distributed though the fiberglass walls and wooden floors.

Photo courtesy of MorBCN

Photo courtesy of temp13

Two spaces are clearly legible: the double-height curve area and suspended cube, which contains the collection of Van Gogh Japanese art of Ukiyo-e, such as works by  Kitagawa Utamaro and Katsushita Hokusai .

The plum blossom and The Courtesan (Hiroshige)

Museumplein

Perhaps the question we all ask while approach the museum through the spacious forecourt of the Museumplein is ... Where is the entrance to the museum? Originally, as mentioned earlier, the building used to face a street, and on its back there was another street, the Concertgebouw (Concert Hall), that joined with the Rijksmuseum, the largest art museum in the Netherlands.

The street in front of the Concertgebouwen 1902

Between 1996 to 1999 an intensive renovation of this area was carried out , including underground parking, a wide expanse of lawn, shops, cafes, a pool-skating rink, the relocation of green areas and a memorial to the dead women in the Holocaust. The design was conceived by the remarkable Swedish landscape architect Sven-Ingvar Andersson, who integrated these cultural functions within a public space.


Today this is one of the busiest areas for both residents and visitors, and often holds outdoor exhibitions.

Currently they are carrying out renovations in museums, but in a few years it is expected to become one of the main cultural centers of Europe.

***

It is always noteworthy  to remember that Van Gogh greatly influenced modern art in Holland, including the De Stijl Movement, and that Vincent in turn was influenced by Japanese art, so it was Kurokawa. The world is a handkerchief.

SEE ALSO
- OTHER WORKS OF Kisho Kurokawa

• Metabolist Movement (1960-70)
• Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo, Japan. (1970-72)
• National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan. (2000-06)
• Nursing Association of Japan, Tokyo, Japan. (1999-2001)

- ART MUSEUMS 

• 21st Century Museum, Kanazawa, Japan. SANAA (1999-2004)
• Guggenheim Museum, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Frank Gehry (2007-)
• Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain. Frank Gehry (1992-97)
• Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA. Frank L. Wright (1943-59) 
• Hoki Museum, Chiba, Japan. Tomohiko Yamanashi (2008-10)
• Kolumba Museum, Cologne, Germany. Peter Zumthor (2003-07)
• Louvre Museum, remodelling, Paris, France. I. M. Pei (1983-93
• Miho Museum, Shiga, Japan. I. M. Pei (1997)
• Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, Japan. Le Corbusier (1959)
• National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan. Kisho Kurokawa (2000-06)
• Suntory Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan. Kengo Kuma (2004-07)
• Suntory Museum, Osaka, Japan. Tadao Ando (1994) 
• Watari-Um Gallery, Tokyo, Japan. Mario Botta (1985-90)

With Eric, Techi  and little Rafael

CÉSAR PELLI: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART, OSAKA

* In collaboration with Ms. Oriana Nakano, Curatorial Assistant at the National Museum Osaka

ESPAÑOL

The National Museum of Art (2004), designed by Cesar Pelli in Osaka, is so different from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, that is hard to believe at first glance that this work belongs to the same architect. While the Malaysian towers stand skyward beating world records, the museum in Osaka was developed three levels underground. While the complex in Malaysia was developed based on a meticulous and strict geometry that is clearly expressed in the form and silhouette of the towers, the museum in Japan presents an explosive, amorphous facade, completely free of geometric constraints. It is possible, however, to recognize in both examples an intention to create a significant place, to establish  a landmark that will develop the collective memory of the site. In both cases, this architect from Tucuman, Argentina, has demonstrated versatility in the development of such different solutions.

Panorama showing the Museum of Art in the foreground and the Science Museum in the background.
Photo courtesy of AIA

BACKGROUND.

The World Expo'70 took place on the outskirts of Osaka, and among the facilities that were implemented for that event, the Expo Museum of Fine Arts was developed. In 1977 this building was transformed into the National Museum of Art in Osaka, dedicated to house mainly contemporary art collections.

"Tower of the Sun," by Taro Okamoto monument at the Expo Park, Osaka.

Photo courtesy of girlsmell.

In 2004 the museum was moved to the east end of the city near the coast, to a location on the Nakano island (or Nakanoshima), between the rivers Tosabori and Dojima, an area renown as Osaka's Arts District.

DEVELOPMENT

Due to limitations of the area it was decided that this 13,500 m2 complex, should be developed underground, with two galleries for permanent and temporary installations. Due to its location in an area crisscrossed by many underground streams, and given that the building would be below the level of the rivers,  triple-layered walls were built (concrete, waterproof and the inner wall of the museum), reaching a thickness of 3 meters. This armor provides the building with additional protection against moisture and earthquakes, and because of that it has earned the nickname of "submarine".

The museum is located on the island Nakano. Google Earth Image

Aerial view of the Osaka Museum of Art, next to the elliptical building of the Osaka Science Museum .
Photo Courtesy of Pelli Clarke Pelli.

The facade, however, stands as a light structure -made of stainless steel tubes coated in titanium- that emerges from the ground level, forming a sculptural spasm that exceeds 50 m. in  height, and spreading like the wings of a mystical bird. This sculpture wraps the steel and glass lobby, which affords generous natural light to the interior.

Detail of the facade. Photo C. Zeballos

Facade. Photo courtesy of Oriana Nakano.

"The steel sculpture is allowed to sway, to some extent, in all directions." says Pelli. "Given its height and location, wind and earthquake design posed unique engineering challenges. Also, many of the steel tubes must penetrate the skylight glass. For these junctures, the architects designed a watertight seal with a bellows. The bellows allow the steel tube to move 4–6 inches in any direction without breaking the glass or causing leaks. "

Photo courtesy of Oriana Nakano.

Details of the facade. Photo C. Zeballos

Next to the museum there is a bamboo garden. Both the garden and the structure are an allegory of a bamboo forest that used to grow naturally in the Nakanoshima Island before its urban development.



Some have criticized this dramatic rupture with the environment, but others have praised this synthesis between architecture and sculpture and the explicit feeling of freedom and contemporaneity expressed in its  facade. However, although this metal and glass structure bends and twists to form the building entrance, it does not transmit the flamboyant drama involving, for example, the works of Frank Gehry . On the contrary, the use of tubes instead of plates makes the whole element lighter and more transparent.  I would say that despite its apparent chaos, it is possible to perceive Pelli's orderly hand .

Inside the lobby. Photo courtesy of AIA

Entrance and lobby. Photos courtesy of Oriana Nakano

Perhaps as interesting as this external capriccio, is the spatial sensation inside this transparent lobby, a monumental space bathed in a warm and welcoming light that,  an ever-changing play of light and shadow, hits on the museum walls, coated in earthy colors.

Sections of the museum.Courtesy of Pelli Clark Pelli 

First floor, courtesy of the National Museum of Art, Osaka.

Dotted with nice details, such as a series of columns which flourish from a single point to the ceiling, the main function of this modern greenhouse is to provide natural light to the underground galleries.

Interior Details, branched columns supporting the roof. Photos C. Zeballos

Photos courtesy of Oriana Nakano

From the glazed lobby we descend through the escalators to the galleries, located below and arranged as L-shape.

The first level houses the reception, auditorium, restaurant, offices and the souvenir shop.

First basement, courtesy of the National Museum of Art, Osaka.

The double height between this level and the first basement is an ideal space to admire an impressive work by Miró (Innocent Laughter, 1969, ceramic tiles 640 pieces, 500x1200 cm, in 1977 it was received as a gift from The Commemorative Association for the Japan World Exposition’70).

Details of the double-height living room, which houses a painting by Miró and the hanging sculpture by Alexander Calder. Photo C. Zeballos

Other remarkable works on the first level are: Jiro Takamatsu’s Study for “Shadow”, Two men (1977), pencil, colored pencil on tracing paper, to be found close to the entrance of the museum shop; Henry Moore’s Large Standing Figure: Knife Edge (1961-1976), bronze, a 1977 gift from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, which is placed close to the ticket check-point; and Alexander Calder’s London (1962), painted sheet aluminum and steel rod, a work in red suspended from the ceiling.

Both second basement (B2) and third basement (B3) host temporary exhibitions – around eight each year, while exhibits from the museum’s permanent collection of nearly 6500 works, including new acquisitions, are presented on the B2 level (Collection 1: art from the 1960s (2010), Collection 2: recent acquisitions (2010), Collection 3: Japanese Art 1950-2010 (2010), Collection 4: a century of contemporary art (2011), Collection Exhibition: Japanese artists in the US (2011), Nakanoshima Collections (2011), the 35th Anniversary of the National Museum of Art, Osaka: the Allure of the Collection (2012), etc.)

Second and third basement, courtesy of the National Museum of Art, Osaka.

Profile Detail of the staircase. Photo C. Zeballos

The following pictures illustrate the exhibition "Eternity of Eternal Eternity", displaying some of the works of the famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The photos are a  courtesy of Ms. Oriana Nakano.

 "Eternity of Eternal Eternity" by Yayoi Kusama

You can see more about the work of Yayoi Kusama in our post on The Watari Museum, by Mario Botta and in this post (in Spanish)

With an exterior design inspired by the life force of the bamboo and the development of contemporary art, this new facility serves well as a space for interaction between the public and art. The Art Museum is related to the Science Museum, a building that shares with the museum an elliptical plaza. In the vicinity there is a building called Nakanoshima Mitsui Building , also designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates.

SEE ALSO:

- MUSEUMS OF CONTEMPORARY ART.

• Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA. Frank L. Wright (1943-59) 

• Guggenheim Museum, Frank Gehry, Bilbao, Spain
• 21st Century Museum, Kanazawa, Japan. SANAA (1999-2004)
• Hoki Museum, Chiba, Japan. Tomohiko Yamanashi (2008-10)
• Kolumba Museum, Cologne, Germany. Peter Zumthor (2003-07)
• Miho Museum, Shiga, Japan. I. M. Pei (1997)
• Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, Japan. Le Corbusier (1959)
• National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan. Kisho Kurokawa (2000-06)
• Suntory Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan. Kengo Kuma (2004-07)
• Watari-Um Gallery, Tokyo, Japan. Mario Botta (1985-90)

I would like to thank Ms. Oriana Nakano, Curatorial Assistant at the National Museum Osaka, for her kind collaboration in this post, particularly for the pictures on the Yayoi Kusama exhibition, since some installations are usually  difficult to photograph inside museums in Japan.