from ancient huts to lunar camps, WHAT museum explores structural engineering evolution

WHAT MUSEUM presents ‘SENSE OF STRUCTURE’ exhibition

Until February 25, 2024, WHAT Museum in Tokyo is hosting an architectural exhibition titled SENSE OF STRUCTURE: The World of Structural Engineering That Designs the Flow of Forces. Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the display prompts a reflection on how architectural design has adapted to natural forces over time. Its main focus is to shed light on the often overlooked field of structural engineering, which plays a crucial role in shaping architecture by understanding and manipulating forces and materials. This event aims to provide a tangible experience of structural design, allowing visitors to explore the creative potential and philosophy behind it through architectural models. ‘Visitors are encouraged to perceive architectural structures through their senses and think about the flow of forces in this world through their sensibilities,’ shares the Museum.

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Exploring Architectural Engineering at WHAT MUSEUM

The exhibition at WHAT Museum (see more here) comprises an introductory section and three themed sections, showcasing over forty structural models. The first section offers visitors the opportunity to understand the flow of forces in architecture by examining models of famous historical and contemporary buildings. The themed sections feature collaborative works between structural engineer Mutsuro Sasaki with architects Arata Isozaki, Toyo Ito, and Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA, a Lunar Base Camp model developed jointly by JAXA and structural engineer Jun Sato, and models using bamboo as a sustainable building material. WHAT Museum’s goal is to make structural engineering more accessible to the public, therefore in spring 2024, a second part will unfold, named SENSE OF STRUCTURE: From Horyuji Temple to the Universe, continuing to explore the world of architectural structures.

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project info:

name: SENSE OF STRUCTURE: The World of Structural Engineering That Designs the Flow of Forces

dates: September 30th, 2023 – February 25th, 2024

venue: WHAT Museum 1F (Warehouse TERRADA G Building 2-6-10 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0002) | @what_terrada

cooperation: Motoshi Inukai, Yohei Tomioka, Hiroshi Yoshino Architects

exhibition graphics: Kensuke Sakakibara
key visual design: Kohei Sekigawa
making collaboration: Lambda Digital Engineering
components production collaboration: Takemoku Co., Ltd.