Taisei Corporation Joins teamLab Biovortex Kyoto as Main Partner Architectural concept by teamLab Architects and Taisei Corporation unveiled.

teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab

teamLab has welcomed Taisei Corporation as the main partner for teamLab Biovortex Kyoto.
Taisei Corporation has decided to participate as a main partner, inspired by teamLab’s philosophy of creating new experiences, following its involvement in the design and construction of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto.
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto is teamLab's largest museum in Japan, based on the concept of ‘Universe of Existence, Universe of Perception’. The architectural group, teamLab Architects, has unveiled the architectural concept for teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, designed in collaboration with Taisei Corporation.

＜Message from Aikawa Yoshiro, President and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director＞
I believe that construction is not merely about building structures; it is an endeavor that shapes human experiences and memories. The allure of teamLab’s artwork lies in how it allows people to immerse themselves in a space, becoming part of the environment and naturally expanding their perspectives and senses.
Regardless of one's field of expertise, I believe that engaging with culture and art broadens one's horizons and nurtures the ability to think for oneself. For the younger generation entering society, such experiences serve as a catalyst to look at the world through their own eyes, free from preconceived notions.
By supporting this project, I hope to see more opportunities in society where the next generation can engage their creativity and sensitivity through the power of art.

＜Message from Toshiyuki Inoko, Founder of teamLab＞
We are honored to welcome Taisei Corporation as the main partner for teamLab Biovortex Kyoto.
Our work focuses on creating art that evolves as people immerse themselves within the space, interacting with both others and the environment. Art, people, and the environment are inseparable. Construction provides the very foundation for these experiences, and we believe that by integrating Taisei Corporation’s advanced technology and on-site expertise, we can create a space that transcends the boundaries of conventional thinking.
I believe that true creativity emerges when different fields of expertise intersect, and when existing assumptions are challenged through a process of trial and error. We see immense potential in collaborating with these professionals in space-making to create a new dimension of "place"—where architecture, space, environment, and people operate as one integrated whole.

Located in the Minami-ku area near Kyoto Station where redevelopment continues to progress, this site sits among parks and residential buildings. In this context, we aimed for a world where nature, history, the city, humans, and artworks all connect without boundaries, becoming a symbol that connects the north and south areas. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto ©︎ teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Architectural Concept of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto
The site is Kyoto, surrounded by mountains of rich greenery.
Located in the Minami-ku area near Kyoto Station where redevelopment continues to progress, this site sits among parks and residential buildings. In this context, we aimed for a world where nature, history, the city, humans, and artworks all connect without boundaries, becoming a symbol that connects the north and south areas, bringing comfort to people and harmony with the surrounding environment.

Deep eaves and plantings are arranged along the lines of people’s movement, connecting the north and south and creating a stillness. This stillness enhances the dynamic spaces of the interior artworks.
Under the eaves, indigo tiles are lined on the walls, where the wavering light in subtly different colors eliminates the boundary with the internal artwork experience.

At the tips of the eaves, no gutters are installed, so that a curtain - a ‘sudare’ - of raindrops appears on rainy days. Raindrops also serve as a motif within the internal artworks, connecting natural phenomena with the artwork experience. Through all of this, from the moment one sets foot on the site, the museum experience has already begun.

Under the eaves, indigo tiles are lined on the walls, where the wavering light in subtly different colors eliminates the boundary with the internal artwork experience. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Deep eaves and plantings are arranged along the lines of people’s movement, connecting the north and south and creating a stillness. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Looking at the exterior from a bird's-eye view, two different elements coexist—a gray box and a box with indigo plaster walls under a sloped roof—revealing a symbolism characteristic of Kyoto, where historical streetscapes and new elements coexist. However, there are almost no instances where visitors are conscious of this entirety. For visitors, the most important thing is the artwork experience. The role of architecture is to prepare the state of mind before experiencing the artworks; at times, the exterior remaining too vividly in one's memory may hinder that experience.

Two different elements coexist—a gray box and a box with indigo plaster walls under a sloped roof—revealing a symbolism characteristic of Kyoto, where historical streetscapes and new elements coexist. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Two different elements coexist—a gray box and a box with indigo plaster walls under a sloped roof—revealing a symbolism characteristic of Kyoto, where historical streetscapes and new elements coexist. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Visitors pass through narrow paths characteristic of Kyoto and proceed along a path protected by the eaves. From there, they pass through the lobby space based on a theme of darkness (kuragari), where the exterior and interior are continuous, before immersing themselves into the artwork world. On the return journey, they once again pass under the eaves and quietly return to the city. In that process, what is engraved in memory is not the form of the building, but the experience itself.

This museum is ‘a symbol of coexistence’ for the city, while for the visitor, only the experience remains as an impression.

Visitors pass through narrow paths characteristic of Kyoto and proceed along a path protected by the eaves. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Visitors pass through the lobby space based on a theme of darkness (kuragari), where the exterior and interior are continuous, before immersing themselves into the artwork world.
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Visitors pass through the lobby space based on a theme of darkness (kuragari), where the exterior and interior are continuous, before immersing themselves into the artwork world. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto
© teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

The building connects with the community, and the coexistence of symbol and experience creates a new center of value that connects Kyoto and the world of the artworks.

The building connects with the community, and the coexistence of symbol and experience creates a new center of value that connects Kyoto and the world of the artworks. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Tiles
The 60,000 tiles, each fired in a kiln, all have subtly different colors. Due to the nature of the firing process, no two tiles are exactly alike. 60,000 tiles. All individual shades. These colors, too, are created by phenomena as a part of nature. The different colors of the tiles give the walls a sense of depth and soften the pressure of the pathway.

The 60,000 tiles, each fired in a kiln, all have subtly different colors.
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects

Plastered Walls
Sumi ink is randomly mixed with indigo on the plastered walls.
The upper part of the box with the sloped roof, and the walls along the path where visitors arrive are plastered walls. Within these indigo plaster walls, there are black shadows. To create these black shadows, a technique was used where beads that release ink when crushed were mixed into the indigo plaster material; by adjusting the pressure of the trowel, a plaster wall was created with varying intensities of sumi ink. This design blends with Kyoto’s streetscape while also ensuring that the large walls do not become monotonous.

Sumi ink is randomly mixed with indigo on the plastered walls. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto
© teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

Entrance Lobby
The lobby is enclosed by one-way mirror glass, meeting the greenery across the pathway outside. When viewed from the path, the flora is reflected in the glass, creating the sensation of being surrounded by the forest.
Conversely, from inside the lobby, the glass appears transparent, seamlessly connecting the interior to the exterior and offering a direct view of the forest.

During the day, the glass appears transparent, seamlessly connecting the interior to the exterior and offering a direct view of the forest. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

During the day, the glass appears transparent, seamlessly connecting the interior to the exterior and offering a direct view of the forest. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

The Flora: A forest, planted with diverse species of vegetation.
The planting intentionally avoids uniformity; instead, a vast variety of species are interplanted at a much higher density than usual. Mirroring the natural forests of Western Japan formed over centuries, it is a forest where diverse layers of vegetation interweave, growing so thick that the sky is nearly obscured. Moving away from the homogeneous urban greenery that prioritizes ease of maintenance, we aimed for a high-density forest brimming with the raw, original vitality of nature. Throughout the seasons, various flowers bloom, reaching down even to the undergrowth.

At the entrance gate, we placed a Kitayama Daisugi (platform cedar) from Kyoto—a living relic over 200 years old dating back to the Edo period—alongside classical horticultural plants also said to have been cultivated since that era. By bringing these plants to this space, we create a connection to the deep, historical timeline of Kyoto’s enduring legacy.

a Kitayama Daisugi (platform cedar) from Kyoto—a living relic over 200 years old
dating back to the Edo period. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab

a Kitayama Daisugi (platform cedar) from Kyoto—a living relic over 200 years old dating back to the Edo period—alongside classical horticultural plants also said to have been cultivated since that era. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab

a Kitayama Daisugi (platform cedar) from Kyoto—a living relic over 200 years old dating back to the Edo period—alongside classical horticultural plants also said to have been cultivated since that era. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab

A forest, planted with diverse species of vegetation.
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architects, Vincent Hecht

The Roof: Falling raindrops that form a ‘curtain of droplets’ (sudare)
To ensure a comfortable wait for visitors, the eaves along the northern main walkway extend 3 meters. The roof is intentionally designed without rain gutters; in their absence, rainwater falls freely from the edge in a steady stream. This allows the falling droplets to be appreciated as a form of natural beauty, reminiscent of a traditional sudare screen.
Black glass rocks are laid where the rain meets the ground. A drainage system is installed beneath these stones to manage the runoff, strategically placed to ensure that water droplets do not splash back onto the walkway.

Falling raindrops that form a ‘curtain of droplets’ (sudare)
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab Architect

teamLab Biovortex Kyoto
teamLab's largest exhibition in Japan, located within walking distance of Kyoto Station.
Spanning over 10,000 square meters, the museum features more than 50 artworks, including Massless Amorphous Sculpture, based on teamLab’s concept Environmental Phenomena - the environment which produces the various phenomena that causes the artworks to exist. Other artworks include Megaliths in the Open Universe, and Transient Abstract Life and Return - Resonance, as well as Athletics Forest, a complex, multi-dimensional creative athletic space, and Future Park, a collaborative space for co-creation, both which are part of teamLab’s educational projects.

Highlight Video: teamLab Biovortex Kyoto © teamLab