KOSHINOKUNI Museum of Literature

Architecture
Yashiki (mansion), Kura (warehouse) and Niwa (garden)
The site for this project is situated by the River Matsu that centrally flows through the Toyama prefecture. The scheme seeks to regenerate the area by refurbishing an existing former-residence of prefectural governor and providing an extension for an exhibition block in order to create a literature museum that spreads and raise awareness of Etchu literature which has long been inherited from the Manyo period. Here, we have treated the existing building as a yashiki (Japanese traditional mansion) and the new exhibition extension as a kura (Japanese traditional warehouse) that interlink to each other, with niwa (translates to ‘garden’) that closely relate to the structures completing the configuration of new spatial relationship within the site. The yashiki will hold accommodations for administration, research labs, restaurant and tea rooms, which will provide services for the locals. The kura will act as the ‘museum’ block where exhibition rooms, repository and curator rooms will be located.
The site is designed as a continuous landscape that originates from the River Matsu. The approach route flows through various gardens such as the ‘mizube-no-niwa (garden of water-side)’ and the ‘matsu-kage-no-niwa (garden of pine tree shadow)’ as well as through the exhibition block, penetrating the site from south to north. The existing building (former-residence of prefectural governor) and the new exhibition block open out to the re-arranged 'Manyo Garden', creating quiet and calm environment that belongs to the museum.