tadao ando's naoshima new museum of art to open spring 2025

a New museum for Contemporary Art in naoshima

The Naoshima New Museum of Art, designed by legendary architect Tadao Ando, will open its doors in Spring 2025, adding a major new cultural venue to Japan’s renowned Benesse Art Site Naoshima. Located on a hilltop near the Honmura district of Naoshima, the museum is set to become a central space for contemporary art, with a special focus on artists from the Asian region.

This new museum marks Tadao Ando’s tenth architectural project for Benesse Art Site Naoshima (see designboom’s previous coverage here), and will showcase major works and site-specific commissions by artists from across Asia. The three-story building will feature two underground levels and a ground floor, housing four gallery spaces. Beyond the indoor exhibits, the museum’s café and outdoor areas will also serve as spaces for artistic expression. The inaugural exhibition will display works by eleven artists and groups, including figures like Takashi Murakami and Cai Guo-Qiang, reflecting a broad engagement with contemporary Asian art.

visualizations © Tadao Ando

the Vision of architect tadao ando

As the first museum named after the island itself, Tadao Ando’s Naoshima New Museum of Art strengthens the island’s role as a hub for art, architecture, and community life. While the project is designed to display art at the Benesse Art Site, it further seeks to actively engage with local residents and visitors, creating an ongoing dialogue between art, architecture, nature, and society. The museum will offer rotating exhibitions and public programs, encouraging repeat visits and fostering a dynamic cultural experience for people from around the world.

The architect‘s design for the Naoshima New Museum of Art continues his long-standing architectural approach, which is deeply rooted in the interplay between nature and structure. The museum’s sloped roof echoes its hilltop surroundings, and its minimalist aesthetic reflects Ando’s signature style. Natural light is a key feature, with a central staircase illuminated by a skylight that descends into the underground galleries. The building’s black plaster exterior, reminiscent of traditional burned cedar, and the stacked pebble walls are designed to harmonize with the local landscape, integrating the museum into its environment.

the project adds a major new cultural venue to japan’s benesse art site naoshima

a Broader Focus on Asian Contemporary Art

The museum’s programming will reflect an expanded focus on contemporary art from Asia, a shift that builds on Benesse Art Site Naoshima’s increasing interest in the region. In particular, the museum will emphasize individual artistic perspectives on contemporary issues such as society, the environment, and cultural identity. The new venue also serves as a platform for exchange, inviting collaboration between artists, island residents, and international visitors.

For the Fukutake Foundation, which operates Benesse Art Site Naoshima, the Naoshima New Museum of Art represents the culmination of over thirty-five years of work. Soichiro Fukutake, Honorary Chairman of the Foundation, envisions the museum as a space for fostering community and dialogue through art. His son, Hideaki Fukutake, emphasizes that the museum is not a static project, but rather a space for generating new ‘movements’ through ongoing artistic and cultural collaboration.

programming will reflect an expanded focus on contemporary art from asia

Director Miki Akiko notes that the museum’s inaugural exhibition will feature both new and existing works that speak to the challenges of contemporary society. The exhibition will bring together a diverse group of artists, many of whom have longstanding connections to Benesse Art Site Naoshima, as well as others newly introduced through the museum’s focus on Asia. In this way, the Naoshima New Museum of Art will not only preserve the legacy of the Benesse Art Site but will also continue to innovate, creating new perspectives for generations to come.

a central staircase illuminated by a skylight will descends into the underground galleries