Sendai Mediatheque

The Sendai Mediatheque is a striking work of contemporary architecture by Toyo Ito, opened in 2001 on Jozenji-dori, the tree-lined boulevard that cuts through the city centre. Seven transparent floors of library, gallery, and cinema space are supported by thirteen tubular columns that look like bundles of seaweed swaying underwater. The building is worth visiting even if you have no interest in libraries.

Inside, the spaces are open and flexible: bookshelves, reading areas, gallery spaces, and a cinema are arranged around the central columns, and the floor-to-ceiling glazing means Jozenji-dori is always visible. Free wifi and open public spaces make it a popular hangout. The gallery floors host rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. The building is free to enter; gallery exhibitions may charge.

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A story
Toyo Ito designed the building around thirteen hollow tube-like structures that pass through all seven floors, functioning simultaneously as structural columns, light shafts, and circulation spaces. When the 2011 earthquake struck, these tubes swayed and flexed rather than cracking — the building sustained only minor damage while many conventional structures nearby were badly shaken. Ito won the Pritzker Prize partly on the strength of this building.