Visiting the Sou Fujimoto Exhibition

I recently visited the exhibition “The Path of Temporary Hall for the Dazaifu Tenmangu” by Sou Fujimoto, held at the Shibaura Institute of Technology, open to the public from 9/26 2025 to 10/26 2025. The exhibition traces the design journey of the temporary hall (仮殿, kariden) created for the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka.

More information about the exhibition can be found here.

Seeing the progression from early sketches and renders to final models and concept boards gave me a strong sense of how the building grew out of layers of thought, experiment, and reinterpretation. What impressed me most was how the design embraced tradition and modernity at the same time, while always keeping nature at its center.

Dazaifu Tenmangu’s main sanctuary, an important cultural property, is undergoing its first major renovation in over a century, a process that began in May 2023 and will last about three years. During this time, a temporary structure is necessary to allow both worship and ceremonies to continue, especially with the 1,125th anniversary of Sugawara no Michizane’s death approaching in 2027. Sou Fujimoto and his team were commissioned to design this temporary hall, and while it will stand for only three years, the design was approached with much creativity and meaning.

The main feature of the architecture is the “floating forest” roof. This gently sloped roof is planted with a carefully chosen mix of trees, shrubs, and grasses, forming a living canopy that changes through the seasons. The inspiration is tied to one of the shrine’s most famous legends, the tobi-ume or “flying plum tree,” which supposedly flew overnight from Kyoto to accompany Sugawara no Michizane into exile. The temporary hall channels this sense of mobility and vitality by making trees and plants part of the architecture itself. The species selected (such as camphor) were all considered for their symbolic meaning, seasonal character, and visual richness.

The "floating forest" roof

What I found especially intriguing at the exhibition were the hundreds of draft renders showing alternative possibilities. Some versions were more open, had more ornate roofs, some more enclosed, others more abstract. These drafts made clear the balancing act behind the final design of honoring shrine traditions without copying them, experimenting with new forms without losing meaning, and creating something light yet dignified.

The many drafts of the temporary hall.

Alongside the renderings were small-scale pavilion models that explored more of the different styles. Each felt distinct, yet all were unmistakably “Sou Fujimotoesque”: airy, experimental, and open, while also deeply engaged with the interplay between structure and nature.

One of Sou Fujimoto's miniature models

Fujimoto’s design of the temporary hall blurs the line between building and landscape, making nature an active participant in shaping how people feel and interact with the space. The "floating forest" roof was deliberately designed to feel like a part of the forest surrounding the Dazaifu Tenmangu.

Walking through the displays, I realized how important it is to see not only the finished building but also the process of its making. The drafts, the models, the endless possibilities, these are part of the story too. In that sense, the exhibition mirrors the temporary hall itself: both are about a journey, about how architecture evolves over time and adapts to its circumstances. The temporary hall may only stand for three years, but its influence will last much longer.