Friday was all about the art in some truly magnificent buildings by Tadao Ando. Many you could not take photos in (good thing) and had ticket restrictions which also limited the number of people.
Many of the buildings we visited were made from concrete and in the brutalist style – but fitted well in the landscape.
Here are a few photos – will post more later today.
If you are a follower of the blog – you may recognise this building. Yes – it’s a public library… and why shouldn’t money be spent on making buildings which look great!
Both the seats on the outside and the toilet block all fit the same style. The train sign is included to remind me of the station.
As I had been inside the building previously didn’t need to return. The library has a cafe, RFID technology and a sorter to make the experience easier for customers and staff. Inside the building there is a lot of natural light due to the fabulous large windows. We were. Last here in 2018 (photos below) – and it still looks good today.
There are many buildings in Tokyo where the owners have gone all out architecturally – the Mori Group is one high profile company in Japan of this type. They produce high end buildings which combine office complexes, residential, and high end shops. They usually are connected with the train system and have public elements to them which encourages customers, such as galleries and museums.
The building we went to for the Team Labs boarderless experience was at the bottom in Azabudai Hills. as you can see – not you run of the mill square building you see in Adelaide.
While in the depths of this building we had a wander around the supermarket… which had many amazing things we wanted to bring home – that customs would definitely not allow.
Later in the day we also went to Rappongi Hills which has the Mori art museum, city view and galleries.
The name of the city Le Mans, conjures up thoughts of Top Gear, and motor racing. Not a medieval city, rich in history. It was a pleasant surprise.
We stayed in the old section, opposite Cathedral St-Julien (XI-XV). During July and August they are featuring projected images on the historical buildings throughout the old area. For those of you who remember Northern Lights part of the Adelaide Festival, this was leagues in front with music, and moving images. As nightfalls around 11pm, it commenced at 11:30, and was very worthwhile!
