Construction workers and digital artists are working feverishly to put together an immersive museum that will act as the cultural centerpiece of Tokyo’s newest megaproject, located beneath Japan’s highest tower in a basement maze.
The global artistic collective teamLab broke the Guinness World Record in 2019 when over 2 million people visited their Borderless museum located on Odaiba island in Tokyo Bay. The name alludes to a collection of interconnected digital artworks that let visitors explore at their own leisure.
The attraction closed last year ahead of redevelopment of the site by Mori Building, one of Japan’s leading developers. It is due to reopen in February in Mori’s new Azabudai Hills complex in central Tokyo.
“To be able to create this kind of large space in which we can exhibit is what’s really important to us,” teamLab founder Toshiyuki Inoko said in an interview on Friday.
The relocation is part of Mori’s strategy of placing cultural attractions in integrated business and residential projects. The 330 metres (1,082 feet) Mori JP Tower is due to open next week, with adjacent shopping arcades, residential towers, medical facilities, and a school in various states of construction.
Several pieces of the new Borderless facility are nearing completion, including “Flowers and People,” a continuous computer projection of blooming and scattering petals, and “Bubble Universe,” a mirrored room of twinkling bulbs that appear to extend into infinity.
teamLab has developed a global reputation for its experimental and interactive set pieces that meld images and senses. Previous projects in Tokyo featured digital art mixed with a sauna experience and a laser light show enhanced performance of Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Turandot.”
“We as team want to create something that makes people feel that the continuity itself is something beautiful,” Inoko said.