Dezeen Magazine

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima

Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima has added a circular courtyard and a renovated timber shed to her series of galleries on Inujima island, Japan.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
A-Art House

Sejima, the female partner of architecture studio SANAA, has been working on the Inujima Art House Project since 2010, when she and art director Yuko Hasegawa opened three galleries and a small pavilion in the island's village.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
A-Art House

The two new buildings, entitled A-Art House and C-Art House, will join F-Art House, S-Art House and I-Art House to create a series of spaces that can host coinciding exhibitions.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
A-Art House

Clusters of artificial flower petals decorate the acrylic walls of A-Art House, giving a colourful backdrop with shades of pink, orange and yellow to the open-air courtyard that makes up the space.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
A-Art House

Instead of a precise circle, the structure has gently fluted walls that bulge outwards, creating an outline reminiscent of a flower shape. A rectangular opening forms an entrance through one of the walls, while silver stools offer a pair of seats for visitors.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
C-Art House

C-Art House, the second of the two galleries, occupies a renovated nineteenth-century timber shed near the coastline.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
C-Art House

The structure of this building is revealed inside, where ageing wooden trusses are supported by modern timber columns. Timber panels line the walls, while a panoramic screen provides a surface for film screenings.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
C-Art House

To tie in with the opening of the new galleries, all five spaces are presenting a combined exhibition where each space is dedicated to the work of a different artist.

A-Art House and C-Art House by Kazuyo Sejima
C-Art House

Kazuyo Sejima is best-known as one of the two founding partners of SANAA, alongside architect Ryue Nishizawa. The pair were awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2010 and past projects include the Rolex Learning Centre in Switzerland and the Louvre Lens gallery in France.

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Photography is by Iwan Baan.