The National Museum of Western Art is celebrating the 60th birthday of its main building with the special exhibition “Le Corbusier and the Age of Purism”. The museum’s main building was designed by Le Corbusier and completed in 1959.

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris (1887-1965), the architect known as Le Corbusier, had a great influence on 20th century architecture. The National Museum of Western Art in Ueno, Tokyo was created for the artworks collected by Kojiro Matsukata in Europe. Le Corbusier was commissioned to design the building in 1955 and he created a new museum where the building itself was as special as the art on display inside. In 2016, “The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement” was added to the World Heritage List. It lists 17 sites across seven countries, including the National Museum of Western Art.

Upon the 60th Anniversary of the NMWA

Le Corbusier and the Age of Purism

Tuesday, 19 February 2019 – Sunday, 19 May 2019

Hours: 9:30 – 17:30 pm (20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays). Last entry 30 minutes before closing time.

Tickets: 1,600 yen for adults, 1,200 yen for college students, 800 yen for high school students

Access: The National Museum of Western Art is located in Ueno Park in front of the Park Exit of the JR Ueno Station.

“Le Corbusier and the Age of Purism” focuses on the period when Le Corbusier lived in Paris where he could interact with leading artists of the avant-garde. In 1918, he began the Purism movement together with the painter Amédée Ozenfant. Le Corbusier was not only active in architecture, but also in urban planning, interior design, and painting. This exhibition includes about 100 artworks by Le Corbusier and fellow artists, including paintings, architectural models, and films.

More about the work of Le Corbusier and The National Museum of Western Art:

The National Museum of Western Art: https://www.nmwa.go.jp/en/

UNESCO World Heritage List: “The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement” http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1321/.