In the round: Art gallery by aat + Makoto Yokomizo Architects.

The Japanese poet ant painter, Tomihiro Hoshino was famously injured in an accident in the 1970s that rendered him paralysed from the neck downwards. With inspiring courage, and even more inspiring skill, he continued to paint using his mouth. In his honour, an art gallery was opened in his home village of Azuma, Japan, to display his work. The gallery became known across Japan, and soon, bigger premises were required. Eventually, after an international competition, aat + Makoto Yokomizo Architects were commissioned to design a new gallery. It was completed in 2005. The plan is a square with 33 single storey cylindrical galleries fitted within. Each of the cylinders is a different diameter adding variation to the layouts. Between the cylinders are courtyard spaces open to the light. The separate gallery spaces are relatively small and intimate. An important aspect of the concept is that individual spaces can be finished in materials that compliment the tones of the adjacent landscape and the actual paintings that are being displayed. The project was featured in Detail in 2006.