Junzo Yoshimura, Japanese exhibition house, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA, 1953-55

The Museum has selected an example of traditional Japanese building for this exhibition because classic Japanese architectural forms have long been regarded by many Western architects as being of greater relevance to contemporary problems than much of the Western tradition itself.  

The characteristics which give Japanese architecture this interest are post and lintel skeleton frame construction; flexibility of plan; close relation of indoor and outdoor areas; and the ornamental quality of the structural system. The nature of its design and the meticulous craftsmanship with which it is built make a Japanese house seem like a huge piece of furniture. Significantly, the empty interiors of a Japanese house are made decorative by the structure itself.

In reality the exposed structural framework of a Japanese house includes decorative elements, so that the entire structure itself acquires the richness and variety of an ornament.

The Japanese Exhibition House was made in Nagoya in 1953. It was shipped to the United States, and reassembled in the Museum.

Although the materials of the building are new, its design is based on 16th and 17th century Japanese prototypes. The wood used for the main building is hinoki, a species of Japanese cypress; shingles of hinoki bark are used for the roof.

References:

https://www.moma.org/research-and-learning/archives/archives-exhibition-history-list

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/2711

https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_2711_300380245.pdf

https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_press-release_333134.pdf

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Museum+of+Modern+Art/@40.7614327,-73.9776216,17z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x89c258fbd5ec7547:0x7edf0a3ade84ad50!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c258f97bdb102b:0xea9f8fc0b3ffff55!8m2!3d40.7614327!4d-73.9776216

Authors:
Randy Tiomo
Valentin Sébé
Lore Hoppenbrouwers
Žofia Uhrínová