ABOUT

The Simose Art Museum was conceived in 2018 for the 60th anniverary of Marui Sangyo Corporation, and opened in March 2023. The museum preserves and displays items collected by Marui Sangyo President Yumiko Shimose and inherited from her parents and company co-founders. The museum will continue to collect, preserve, study, and exhibit works of art from Japan and abroad as a center of cultural activity in Otake, Hiroshima.

The museum entrance hall, exhibition hall, and administration building are arranged parallel to the sea and connected by a corridor that forms a 190-meter-long, 8.5-meter-high mirrored glass screen.
Beyond the mirrored glass screen, eight movable galleries are arrayed on a water basin and sheathed in colored glass. This space forms a symbolic landscape that evokes the beauty of Setouchi islands.
Emile Gallé's Garden is located outside the northern end of the mirrored glass screen. The garden features seasonal flowers and plants used as motifs by the French artist and designer Emile Gallé (1846-1904), whose works form a major part of the museum collection. The mirrored glass screen reflects these landscapes, amplifying the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea while erasing the presence of the large buildings.

Graphic designer Kenya Hara created Simose's logo and signage. The museum's logo uses elongated lettering to reflect the horizontal form of the museum facing the sea. Guidance around the museum and entire Simose complex is provided by the "Ant Signs," black circles with slender legs that blend into the scenery like a part of nature. Round disks are stacked vertically and horizontally to clearly convey relevant information.