Art Tower Mito, Contemporary Architecture in Ibaraki Japan – Free Picture

About the Picture

ATM, firstly when I heard about the short name of the place, I thought it relates to banks and ATMs as we used to, but here it actually stands for Art Tower Mito in Ibaraki, contemporary art complex that has more to offer than just this beautiful architecture we see on the picture.

When I first was asked to visit the Art Tower Mito I felt a bit sceptic and the image of the place I saw didn’t excite me much, to be honest. But I’m extremely glad we took a trip there. When I first encountered the architecture rising from the skyline of this quiet Ibaraki city, I was mesmerized and the view was extraordinary.

This isn’t just another cultural building – it’s a titanium-clad testament to architectural innovation that changed how Japan approaches modern construction. The tower felt like a mechanical vine climbing into a clean blue sky. If you love contemporary architecture and quiet city discoveries as I do, this corner of Mito, Ibaraki is one of those stops that rewards slowing down, looking up, and following the lines.

Art Tower Mito sits in central Mito City, a short ride north of Tokyo by JR Jōban Line. From Mito Station, it’s roughly a 15–20 minute walk through low-rise streets, you can take a bus ride to get you there, but I prefer walking, not only it allows you to see the tower slowly unfold in front of you but allows you to feel the city vibe, which is so peaceful and you may find Mito-chan, the official city mascot on your way. One day I may share the picture of her in the city.

Arata Isozaki is the architect that created a cultural complex in Mito and the Tower we see on the picture is a part of it. I highly recommend reading about the architect, the Pritzker Prize winner – it’s like a Nobel Prize for Architects. You can find his designs all over the world, and his life story is quite fascinating. Read about Arata Isozaki, the Pritzker Prize winner here.

Art Tower Mito is 100 meters tall, consists of 28 regular tetrahedra – triangular pyramids (measuring 9.6 meters on each side), they are stacked at varying angles, creating a mesmerizing spiral effect.

This design is based on the mathematical concept known as the Boerdijk–Coxeter helix, making it not just visually stunning but geometrically fascinating. Isozaki drew inspiration from Constantin Brâncuși’s Endless Column, reimagining the concept of infinite ascension through modern materials and mathematical precision.

Those black “dots” you see on the picture are windows, so when you enter the Tower, you can enjoy 360 degrees view of the surroundings – I assume it’s perfect to visit the place around sunset. But the day we visited the landmark, we couldn’t enter the Tower, oopsie.

To enter the Contemporary Art Gallery you must pay about 900 yen, but the Tower itself costs only 200 yen. A great price for such an architecture I would say.

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