The National Museum of Western Art

Japanese: 国立西洋美術館 - こくりつせいようびじゅつかん（英語表記）The National Museum of Western Art

Located in Ueno Park, Tokyo, this is the only national museum of Western art. It houses modern European paintings and sculptures, centered around the Matsukata Collection, which was collected in Europe from the Taisho to early Showa periods by Kojiro Matsukata, a businessman who served as the first president of Kawasaki Shipyards (now Kawasaki Heavy Industries). The main building is the only building in Japan designed by Le Corbusier (1887-1965), a representative French architect of the 20th century. In July 2016, 17 buildings, including the main building, including houses, religious buildings, and government buildings that Corbusier designed in seven countries around the world, including France and India, were registered as World Heritage sites under the title "Le Corbusier's Architectural Works - Outstanding Contributions to the Modern Architecture Movement." The innovative architecture was recognized as having laid the foundation for modern architecture on a global scale. This is the 16th World Heritage site in Japan, and the 20th including natural heritage sites.
Before the war, Matsukata purchased many works of art in Europe to show to Japanese artists, but about 400 pieces he left behind in Paris, including paintings by Monet and Van Gogh and sculptures by Rodin, were confiscated by the French government as enemy property during World War II. After the war, France agreed to return about 370 of those pieces, on the condition that a museum be built, and in 1954, the construction of the museum was decided. The following year, 1955, Le Corbusier visited Japan to inspect the proposed construction site. Based on Le Corbusier's basic design, his disciples, architects Kunio Maekawa, Junzo Sakakura, and Takamasa Yoshizaka, were in charge of the actual work, and the main building was completed and opened in 1959. The new building, designed by Maekawa, was built in 1979, and the special exhibition hall was built in 1997.
The main building is made of reinforced concrete and has one basement floor and three above ground floors, with a total floor space of approximately 4,400 square meters. The style of Le Corbusier is clearly evident in the pilotis, which is made up of only pillars on the first floor, creating an open atrium, and the rooftop garden. The interior space incorporates the idea of an "infinitely growing museum" that Le Corbusier had pursued for many years, with a spiral staircase and a design that allows for the building to be expanded outward to ensure exhibition space even if the collection increases. In 1998, Shimizu Corporation carried out earthquake-resistance renovations, isolating the entire building from the ground and installing seismic isolation devices, so as not to damage the exterior or structure. These earthquake countermeasures were also highly evaluated in a preliminary inspection by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In the late 2000s, Japan and other countries jointly recommended the works of Le Corbusier, which were to be registered as World Heritage sites, in response to a call from the French government. In 2008, 22 works from six countries were submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for registration as "The Architecture and Urban Planning of Le Corbusier", but in 2009, ICOMOS recommended a postponement of the registration, saying that "the person cannot be evaluated". The World Heritage Committee decided to make an information inquiry requesting the submission of additional information. As a result, the pillar of the recommendation document was changed from the individual architect to the influence of the works that spread modern architecture around the world, and 19 works from six countries were submitted in 2011. However, the period for review was short, so ICOMOS recommended not to register, and the World Heritage Committee decided to postpone the inscription. In 2015, the application was narrowed down to 17 works from seven countries, and after an on-site investigation, ICOMOS recommended registration in May 2016, and the World Heritage Committee decided to register in July of the same year.

(Writer: Minami Fumie/2016)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

東京の上野公園内にある、国立でただ一つの西洋美術館。川崎造船所(現川崎重工業)の初代社長などを務めた実業家、松方幸次郎が大正から昭和初期にかけて欧州で収集した美術品「松方コレクション」を中心に、近代欧州の絵画や彫刻などを収蔵している。本館は20世紀を代表するフランスの建築家、ル・コルビュジエ(1887～1965)が設計した国内唯一の建造物で、2016年7月、同館を含む、コルビュジエがフランスやインドなど世界7カ国で手掛けた住宅や宗教建築、行政機関など計17の建造物が「ル・コルビュジエの建築作品―近代建築運動への顕著な貢献―」として、世界文化遺産への登録が決まった。革新的な建築で、世界規模で近代建築の基礎を築いたことが評価された。日本国内の世界文化遺産としては16件目で、自然遺産を合わせると20件目の登録となる。
松方は戦前、日本の画家たちに見せようと、欧州で多くの美術品を購入したが、フランス・パリに残したモネ、ゴッホの絵画やロダンの彫刻など約400点は第2次世界大戦で敵国人財産として仏政府に接収された。戦後、フランス側から、美術館建設などを条件にそのうち約370点が返還されることとなり、1954年、美術館の建設が決定。翌55年にコルビュジエが来日して建設予定地を視察した。コルビュジエの基本設計を元に、弟子の建築家、前川國男と坂倉準三、吉阪隆正が実務を担当し、59年に本館が完成、開館した。そして79年には前川が設計した新館が、97年には企画展示館が建設された。
本館は、鉄筋コンクリート地下1階、地上3階建てで、延べ床面積約4400平方メートル。1階部分を柱だけで構成して吹き抜けにするピロティや屋上庭園など、コルビュジエの作風が色濃く表れている。内部空間には、コルビュジエが長年追求した「無限に成長する美術館」のアイデアが採用されており、らせん状に階段を配し、収蔵品が増えても外側へ増築して展示スペースを確保できるように設計された。また98年、清水建設が外観や構造を損なわないよう、建物全体を地面から切り離して免震装置を設置する耐震改修を実施。国連教育科学文化機関(ユネスコ)の諮問機関、国際記念物遺跡会議(イコモス)が行った事前審査では、これらの地震対策も高く評価された。
世界文化遺産への登録が決まったコルビュジエの作品は、2000年代後半、仏政府の呼びかけに応じて日本など各国が共同推薦。08年、6カ国22作品を「ル・コルビュジエの建築と都市計画」としてユネスコの世界遺産委員会に登録申請したが、09年、イコモスは「人物は評価できない」として登録延期を勧告。世界遺産委員会は追加情報の提出を求める情報照会を決定した。このため、推薦書の柱を建築家個人から近代建築を世界に広めた作品の影響力に置き換え、11年、6カ国19作品で申請した。しかし、審査にかけられる期間が短く、イコモスは不登録を勧告、世界遺産委員会は記載延期を決めた。15年、7カ国17作品に絞って申請したところ、現地調査を経て16年5月、イコモスが登録を勧告、同7月の世界遺産委員会で登録が決まった。

(南　文枝　ライター／2016年)

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