Tokyo Exhibition Highlights Sou Fujimoto’s “Primitive Future” Architectural Creations
The remarkable designs of Sou Fujimoto are being honored with an exhibition at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum. Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest marks the Japanese architect’s inaugural major exhibition. Divided into eight sections, this extensive survey is a groundbreaking architecture exhibition that encompasses not only traditional scale models, plans, and photographs but also features large-scale replicas that allow visitors to immerse themselves in Fujimoto’s innovative ideas.
Famous recently for The Grand Ring, the central masterplan for the Osaka 2025 World Expo, the Hokkaido-born architect was relatively unknown when he emerged in 2000. Coming in second place in the international design competition for the Aomori Museum of Art served as a pivotal moment in his journey both in and outside of Japan. Now with studios in Tokyo, Paris, and Shenzhen, Fujimoto has become a global influence recognized for his “primitive future” design principles.
The title of the exhibition pays homage to the densely forested landscape of Hokkaido that shaped Fujimoto’s childhood. The idea of the forest, along with its primordial essence, is central to Fujimoto’s creations. “One of the roles of an architect is to create spaces that interweave connections between individuals and between humans and nature,” states the architect. “For me, such a space resembles a ‘future forest’ where the natural and the human-made coexist.”
Eugene Kim, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of My Modern Met, had the chance to explore the exhibition while in Tokyo. “I felt privileged to experience Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest in person,” he remarks. “What distinguishes Fujimoto’s architecture is the depth of thought and creativity infused in each work. Upon examining his structures closely, one can sense the deliberate nature of every line and contour, the balance of illumination and shadow, the cadence of flow and movement. Ultimately, it represents a harmonious conversation between form and function—transforming concepts that seem feasible only in dreams into tangible reality, and reminding us how much richer the world becomes through curiosity and awe.”
Open until November 9, 2025, Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest offers a compelling perspective on how one architect is influencing our future through design.
Covering three decades, the exhibition is organized into eight sections, reflecting his design philosophy of “primitive future.”
Exhibition Information:
Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest
July 2, 2025 – November 5, 2025
Mori Art Museum
53F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, Tokyo, Japan
Sou Fujimoto: Website | Instagram | Facebook
My Modern Met has authorized the inclusion of photos by Mori Art Museum.
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