DAY 2 (3/5): MATSUMOTO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (まつもと市民芸術館), Matsumoto (松本), Japan, 2018.05.26

Two years ago in April 2016, Pritzker Prize winner Toyo Ito (伊東豊雄) came to Hong Kong for a public lecture. His recently completed Taichung Metropolitan Opera House was the main focus on that day, but Ito also introduced some of his earlier works, including the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre (まつもと市民芸術館). With its spatial fluidity and random windows on the curving outer walls, the Matsumoto project has strongly imprinted onto our memory. Completed in 2004, the Matsumoto Performing Arts Center is consisted of two performance halls: the great hall (1800 seats) and the smaller hall (240 seats), rehearsal studios, supporting facilities, a cafe, and a reception lobby, all connected by a ribbon-like foyer and a splendid staircase, allowing visitors to freely flow through different spaces. The performing arts centre was famous not only for its aesthetics, but also its quality as a community theatre, providing a great place for both the audience and performers. This, to a great extent, was the fruitful result from close collaborations during the design process between architect Toyo Ito and stage director-actor Kazuyoshi Kushida.

Despite our limited time in the city, we just couldn’t leave Matsumoto without checking out Ito’s building. We were eager to have a firsthand experience of the fluid spatial experience, check out the delicate construction detailing, and admire the lovely finish materials. The performance halls were closed for the public, but we could still freely wander in the common areas, from the grand entrance staircase to the lovely roof garden.

The Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre is just a few minutes walk from Matsumoto City Museum of Art.

From outside, the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre bends along a side street to the dark grey fly tower.

The expression of fluidity seems to be the coherent design language of the building. Patterns of flowing water appears on some metal panels near the building entrance.

The magical experience of the architecture begins right from the dramatic entry into the entrance lobby and grand staircase.

A moving walkway along the beautiful outer wall of random openings, where diffused natural light is allowed to enter the interior.

In a magazine interview, Toyo Ito describes the curved facade with windows of sparkling pattern can give the impression of being random and natural rather than geometrically based.

From a distance, the facade of random windows appears like a translucent screen of sparkling gemstones.

During daytime, the foyer serves as a indoor public space. The public is free to enter and climb the stair to the upper foyer.

A screen of translucent glass serves as a balustrade for the upper foyer.

On the upper foyer, there is a large glazed wall allowing visitors to take in the view of greenery outside.

The curvature of the outer walls extends all the way to the back foyer of the grand hall. While the outer wall are defined by the random windows, the walls of the performance halls in the foyer are cladded by dark metal panels.

On the upper foyer, there are several two groups of organic shaped seating under spotlight.

Between the grand and smaller halls, the foyer offers a pleasant space for pre-function activities under the carefully designed ambient lighting.

There is a causal cafe at the end of the foyer next to the smaller hall. The adjacent glass elevator provides a convenient way to access the above roof garden.

The flat roof is covered entirely by vegetation. Both the lawn and the continuous bench along the railing offer pleasant seating to the public.

The roof garden ends at a dance rehearsal studio and the fly tower of the grand hall.

From the roof garden, visitors can enjoy the skyline of Matsumoto and the scenery of Hida Mountains (Northern Japanese Alps) beyond.

After touring the roof garden and upper foyer, we descended back to the ground floor.

We were delighted to have make it to see Ito’s great piece of architecture. From the performing arts centre, it was a 15-minute walk back to Matsumoto Station for us to embark into the countryside of the Northern Japanese Alps.