Discover Ando’s Vision at VS., Grand Green Osaka
Starting March 20, Osaka presents a unique retrospective of one of Japan’s most influential contemporary architects. YOUTH, an immersive exhibition on Tadao Ando’s life and work, unites large-scale installations, sketches, models, and multisensory spaces – celebrating the eternal youth of this now 83-year-old master.
Exhibition Highlights: Icons to Experience
1. 15-meter-high immersive video installation
A three-dimensional projection immerses visitors in Ando’s iconic works – visually striking and sensorially rich.
2. Full-scale reconstruction of “Church on the Water”
Ando’s early masterpiece from Hokkaido is recreated in its entirety, including the cross in the reflecting pool, panoramic landscape projections, and atmospheric soundscapes.
3. Naoshima installation: film, models & music
A multimedia journey through 37 years of Naoshima architecture: models, video installations, and music immerse visitors in Ando’s visionary spatial worlds.
4. Green Apple – the symbol of youth
A 2.5-meter-tall green apple greets visitors at the entrance – symbolising Ando’s spirit of courage, curiosity, and his call to “stay forever young.”
5. “Trace of Challenges” & “Tadao Ando Now”
Around 60 projects with over 230 sketches, drawings, plans, and models illustrate Ando’s journey from self-taught carpenter to global architectural icon. Featured are his early houses and churches, as well as recent cultural landmarks such as Paris’s Bourse de Commerce and the Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest.
Where & When – Admission & Access
- Where: VS., North Park, Grand Green Osaka (Umekita Park), Ofukacho 6‑86, Kita-ku, Osaka (vsvs.jp)
- When: March 20 – July 21, 2025
- Opening hours: 10 AM – 6 PM (Fridays, Saturdays & public holidays until 8 PM)
- Admission: ¥1,800 (adults), ¥1,500 (university students), ¥1,000 (high school students), free for younger children, reduced accessibility ticket ¥900
Access:
6–7 minutes’ walk from Osaka-Umeda or Umeda Station (JR, Hankyu, Hanshin, Metro). Parking available at Grand Green Osaka.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss This Exhibition
What makes YOUTH unique is its poetic staging of eternal youth. Ando – now 83, a cancer survivor, but mentally unbroken – shares through this exhibition his philosophy and unwavering spirit as an “eternally young” thinker. The green apple as symbol and the generous presentation of all his projects prove: for him, architecture is not just a profession, but a way of life.
