The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, a new-style art museum was designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the architect office SANAA in October 2004. It exhibits works of acclaimed contemporary artists from Japan and all over the world, and is among Japan's most popular art museums.
The museum also offers both art and creations from wide-ranging fields related to art, including music, the performing arts, and film.
The museum is comprised of a circular building, 112.5 meters in diameter, with no facade or main entrance giving it a unique description from other museums and buildings around Kanazawa.
The museum exhibits experiment-type contemporary arts that allows visitors to touch or sit on, and includes zones where visitors can enter for free. The central paid area of the museum hosts temporary exhibits, and usually has one or two concurrently on display.
The museum also has a number of public spaces which include a library, lecture halls and children's workshops.
Public spaces of the museum that are permanent is open for free to the public including the famous Leandro Erlich's "Swimming Pool" is also found in this museum. It is a pool where people appear to the underwater (entry inside the pool requires paid admission) and James Turrell's "Blue Planet Sky", an exhibit exploring light as a medium which has counterpart exhibits around the world.
Take a bus from the Kanazawa Station and get off at the Hirosaka bus stop.
The Hirosaka bus stop can also be reached via the Kenrouken Shuttle Bus, which is about 20 minutes away from the Kanazawa Station.
Exhibitions opens at 10:00 to 18:00, Friday and Saturday is until 20:00. Public spaces opens at 9:00 to 22:00.
It is closed on Mondays, closed on Tuesdays if Mondays falls on a national holiday. Also closed on December 27 to January 1.
Fees may vary by exhibitions but typically range of 1000 Yen.