Forest of Tombs Museum

Tadao Ando – Forest of Tombs Museum. Kumamoto Japan, 1989-1992

The Forest of Tombs Museum is an architectural work dedicated to the historic Iwabari burial mounds in northern Kumamoto Prefecture. 
Situated in the midst of the tombs, the architecture does not interfere with the surrounding environment, the shapes are simple and clean and almost half of the area is below ground level.
Visitors approach on foot, through a lush green forest. The museum is positioned symmetrically to the famous Futago-zuka, a large keyhole-shaped burial mound, which suggests the idea of ​​the museum as a contemporary burial mound.

The building consists of a circular courtyard and an L-shaped wall that penetrates the center of the courtyard, this wall acts as a structure for a ramp that takes visitors into the museum spaces. The exhibitions invite reflection and awareness of the past and present.
The basic building material is concrete, a classic of Tadao Ando's architecture.