Look, Listen, and Feel the Space
—The Architecture of Sou Fujimoto Exhibition: Taipei Iteration

Kenichi Kondo (Adjunct Curator, Mori Art Museum)

“The architectural concept of the ‘Forest of the Future’ poses the question as to whether humankind can create an entity as complex and diverse as nature itself, rather than merely creating a direct imitation of it.”— Sou Fujimoto[1]

Sou Fujimoto currently operates design offices in Tokyo, Paris, and Shenzhen. He has spearheaded a wide array of architectural projects globally, ranging from private residences and universities to commercial facilities, hotels, and mixed-use complexes. This exhibition comprehensively presents the trajectory of Fujimoto’s practice over the past 30 years. It is based on the exhibition of the same title held at the Mori Art Museum in 2025, which marked the largest solo exhibition of his career to date and this iteration at the Jut Art Museum has been specifically curated for the museum. The overall structure and display design were directed by Fujimoto personally, conceived with the intention of introducing as many of his works as possible. As Fujimoto himself notes, this is by no means a mere “retrospective,” but rather “an exhibition that serves as a culmination of my work to date and simultaneously explores future directions.”[2]

Exhibition Structure

The first section introduces Fujimoto and his major works through large-scale photographs and texts. Although Fujimoto’s proposal won first prize in the 2011 Taiwan Tower design competition, it ultimately did not materialize. Recognizing that many visitors may have limited familiarity with Fujimoto’s background, the curatorial team specifically designed this section to serve as an accessible introduction.

Titled “Forest of the Future, Forest of Primordial—Resonant City,” the second section presents Fujimoto’s proposal for the city of tomorrow. This concept was developed through an exchange of ideas between Fujimoto and Hiroaki Miyata (data scientist, Keio University professor, and the Theme Project Producer for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai), who collaborated on Fujimoto’s solo exhibition at the Mori Art Museum. Drawing on a 40,000-character futuristic city setting generated via AI, Fujimoto utilizes video, models, texts, and images to portray his envisioned city of the future. Composed of countless spheres, this city is named “Resonatia”—a coined term derived from Latin, meaning “a place of resonance.” The city encompasses all urban functions (e.g., living, working, and entertainment), facilitating various forms of interconnected human activities to forge a community where a harmonious sense of cohesion can be felt.

The third section focuses on “Open Circle,” the core concept behind The Grand Ring for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. Measuring 20 meters in height, 30 meters in width, and around 2 kilometers in circumference, The Grand Ring was constructed from wood as a symbol of sustainability and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest wooden structure. Serving multiple functions such as a sunshade and an observation walkway, The Grand Ring also acted as an emblem that united the various national pavilions. It gently fused dispersed entities into a cohesive whole, which is the symbolic essence of this Expo. The “Open Circle” concept embodied by The Grand Ring is simultaneously centripetal and diffusive. It is emblematic of hope for Fujimoto. He acknowledges society’s efforts to embrace diversity, with a note of caution that diversity itself can lead to “division,” expressing his belief that the Grand Ring would serve as a representation of transcending division and re-establishing connections.[3] Additionally, a partial model of The Grand Ring at approximately a 1:5 scale is on display at the satellite venue of this exhibition.

The fourth section, “Forest of Thoughts,” features an eponymous installation. This section showcases models, photographs, and study objects from over 100 projects, spanning from Fujimoto’s early career to recently scheduled completions, arranged as a coherent installation. These exhibits are categorized into three core genealogies that run through Fujimoto’s architecture, including “Open Boundaries,” “Many Many Many,” and “Amorphous.” Laid out roughly in chronological order, they reveal the interconnected and evolutionary context between these projects. Just as every tree in a forest varies in height and grows irregularly, the countless models and objects placed at varying elevations throughout the space coalesce to form a “forest,” comprehensively presenting Fujimoto’s architectural vision in its entirety.

The final section, “Forest of Tracks,” comprises a chronology of Fujimoto’s activities and his hand-drawn sketches. The chronology was compiled under the supervision of Shunsuke Kurakata (architectural historian and professor at Osaka Metropolitan University) for the Mori Art Museum exhibition and re-edited for the Taipei iteration. Spanning from Fujimoto’s graduation from the University of Tokyo in 1994 into the future, the chronology incorporates major events in the architectural world, socio-historical contexts, and Fujimoto’s statements. In this chronology, one can observe how the evolution of Fujimoto’s architecture occasionally reflects current events and social phenomena. For instance, the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 had a profound impact on Fujimoto, as it did on many other architects. Concrete manifestations of this influence include Home-for-All in Rikuzentakata (2012) co-designed with Toyo Ito and others; the Maruhon Makiart Terrace (2021) that integrated a tsunami-destroyed cultural center and an old civic hall into a single facility; and International Center Station Northern Area Complex (Sendai) (expected completion in 2031) that carries the significance of commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the earthquake.

The Three Major Genealogies of Fujimoto’s Architecture

The following content elaborates on the three major genealogies—“Open Boundaries,” “Many Many Many,” and “Amorphous”—introduced in the section “Forest of Thoughts.”

“Open Boundaries”refers to originally enclosed, circular spaces that open up to the exterior while maintaining a sense of holistic unity. In the “Open Circle” section, alongside The Grand Ring for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, the exhibition highlights other works within this genealogy. These include the Aomori Museum of Art Design Competition Proposal (2000 concept), featuring a tree-filled courtyard surrounded by zigzagging walls; the Annaka Environment Art Forum International Design Competition Proposal (2004 concept), which is encircled by a curved perimeter while retaining entrances connected to the outside; the Musashino Art University Museum & Library (2010), where floor-to-ceiling “bookshelf walls” are arranged in a spiral; and the House of Music Hungary (2021), which utilizes circular forms to create a seamless continuity between the interior and exterior environments.

“Many Many Many”is a methodology that constructs a single architecture from numerous elements of similar forms. Prime examples include the Children’s Mental Health Center (2006), where 24 white box-like units serving different functions are loosely connected by corridors to form a settlement-like design; L’Arbre Blanc (The White Tree) (2019), featuring 193 balconies extending outward like branches and leaves; and the Maruhon Makiart Terrace (2021), a building formed by the continuous linking of multiple house- and chimney-shaped massing.

“Amorphous”refers to ambiguous spaces that carry manifold meanings and are often eschewed in modern architecture’s pursuit of functionality and rationality. Fujimoto’s signature private residence, House NA (2011), is an exemplar. The entire structure of this residence can be read as a single staircase, while parts of the staircase simultaneously function as distinct rooms. The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013 created internal voids by stacking countless steel pipes into a grid. These pipes acted as structural supports while serving as scaffolding or seating, demonstrating the mixed definitions of a space. At the BEM Bâtiment d’Enseignements Mutualisés—New Learning Center for Polytechnic University (2023), the design incorporates spatial voids that function both as thoroughfares and areas for students to linger, as well as staircases that double as bench seating within the atrium.

Furthermore, these buildings often overlap into other genealogies. A single project may even possess the characteristics of all three.

The Exhibition as a “Forest”

This exhibition does not present Fujimoto’s work in strict chronological order, nor does it rely solely on the blueprints, models, and completion photographs standard in architecture exhibitions. Instead, it utilizes diverse methods—such as texts, videos, hand-drawn sketches, conceptual drawings that visualize ideas, and installations to help visitors understand Fujimoto’s thinking on a sensory level. Through such wide range of exhibits, the exhibition captures the totality and essence of Fujimoto’s architecture. The curatorial team hopes that visitors will look closely, listen intently, and truly feel the space so as to grasp the full scope of Fujimoto’s architectural universe.

Moreover, the exhibition title and several section headers feature the word “Forest.” This stems from Fujimoto’s frequent use of the “forest” concept to elucidate his architecture since his early career, an idea that remains the bedrock of his architectural philosophy.[4] For Fujimoto, who grew up in the nature-rich town neighboring Asahikawa in Hokkaido, the local natural woods serve as his primordial landscape. Similarly, amidst the labyrinthine alleys and chaotic coexistence of the Tokyo metropolis, he discovered a parallel with the forest, namely “a relaxed order hidden within disorder.”[5] Much like a forest, a city is highly stratified and exists as a locus for the endless cycle of life. This concept of the “forest,” which predates humanity, has been continually manifested in various forms from the inception of Fujimoto’s career to the present day. As quoted at the beginning of this essay, Fujimoto believes this concept will serve as a foundational model for future architecture and society. The exhibition’s subtitle, “Primordial Future Forest,” perfectly encapsulates this philosophy.