Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum’s “The A to Z Guide to the Former Residence of Prince Asaka”

Designing Curiosity

For the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum’s 40th anniversary exhibition, “The A to Z Guide to the Former Residence of Prince Asaka,” we developed the exhibition plan and art direction. Our team handled the exhibition composition, concept work, design, and furniture lighting for this show that introduces the Art Deco architecture through A-Z keywords.

We aimed to attract visitors who previously had few opportunities to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, including younger generations and those interested in interior design. Our approach framed the museum as “the home-building of the Asaka family,” introducing the building from perspectives that connect to our contemporary lives.

The exhibition expressed each room’s highlights through 26 unique A-Z keywords, covering architectural design elements, home-building inspiration, and family life episodes. Through guiding displays and take-home cards, we created a system allowing visitors to discover the building’s charm while exploring the space at their own pace.

Client :

HIGURE 17-15 cas / Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

Year :

2024

Industry :

Culture

Exhibition / Space

To unravel the charm of the former Asaka Palace, which now serves as a museum, we established the concept of “home-building.” We designed and produced A-to-Z keywords and furniture pieces to guide visitors through the exhibition. The wooden furniture comes in three sizes: large ones that function as benches, medium ones that display home-building exhibits, and small ones for holding cards. Each piece is colored to match the interior of its respective room. The furniture's arches and the exhibition graphics incorporate Art Deco design—the style that inspired the Asaka family’s home-building vision.

Editing

Through the A-to-Z furniture pieces, visitors gain deeper insights into the museum. These pieces offer stories about the Asaka family’s lifestyle, showcase beautiful furnishings such as lighting and mantlepieces, and introduce the artists and craftspeople who created each room—allowing visitors to interpret the former Asaka Palace from a “home-building” perspective.