SANAA's Museum as Urban Street

At a Glance

Towada Art Center in Aomori opened April 2008 as part of an urban regeneration of the Kancho-gai avenue. Designed by SANAA, it scatters 16 white boxes across a city block so that walking the street is the museum experience.

Street as Museum

SANAA dissolved the single-building museum into small pavilions, each housing one artist's permanent installation. The model revitalized a city of 60,000 into a major art destination.

Highlights

• Ron Mueck's 4 m Standing Woman.
• Yayoi Kusama pumpkins.
• Yoko Ono Wish Tree.
• Paul Morrison's Oxbridge mural.
• Rotating changing exhibitions inside.

Visiting Tips

Shinkansen to Hachinohe, bus to Towada. ¥1,000. 2–3 hours including the street walk. Closed Mondays. Pair with Oirase and Towada Lake.