hiroshi sugimoto designs christie's tokyo office
the gallery space of the new christie’s japan office designed by hiroshi sugimoto
© hiroshi sugimoto / courtesy of christie’s japan
designed by  hiroshi sugimoto / tomoyuki sakakida, new material research laboratory

 

 

2013 marks the 40th anniversary of christie’s japan, and with this, they have relocated to a pre-war stone building designated as an important cultural property in marunouchi – one of the country’s most prestigious business districts – located between tokyo station and the imperial palace.

 

hiroshi sugimoto has designed the auction house’s new tokyo office which was unveiled in december 2012 with an exhibition of
selected works by the japanese contemporary artists, as well as pieces from his personal collection – as he himself is also an avid collector and has a passion for a wide range of art from ancient artifacts to contemporary works. in his spatial concept, sugimoto has placed an emphasis on the aesthetics of the entrance area, gallery space, and the main meeting room which face the outer garden of the imperial palace. he has maintained the architectural details of the original structure while including wood and metal elements into his design.

hiroshi sugimoto designs christie's tokyo office
designated gallery space
© hiroshi sugimoto / courtesy of christie’s japan
designed by  hiroshi sugimoto / tomoyuki sakakida, new material research laboratory

 

 

‘in harmony and respect…what manner of design might befit the tokyo office of christie’s, to best reflect its leading role in the booming world art market? I posed this question to myself as an architect. artworks both soothe and enrich the human spirit.
no matter how opposed we as people might be politically, the artworks gathered here under one roof from so many different countries will surely please our eyes. accordingly, I based my design for the entrance area in keeping with prince shotoku’s injunction to ‘uphold harmony as to act with respect’ that appears at the very beginning of the seventeen article constitution of empress suiko’s reign.’ – hiroshi sugimoto

hiroshi sugimoto designs christie's tokyo office
meeting room
© sugimoto studio / courtesy of christie’s japan
designed by  hiroshi sugimoto / tomoyuki sakakida, new material research laboratory

hiroshi sugimoto designs christie's tokyo office
© hiroshi sugimoto / courtesy of christie’s japan
designed by  hiroshi sugimoto / tomoyuki sakakida, new material research laboratory

hiroshi sugimoto designs christie's tokyo office
entrance area
© hiroshi sugimoto / courtesy of christie’s japan
designed by  hiroshi sugimoto / tomoyuki sakakida, new material research laboratory