Fumio MATSUMOTO 　　 back to the faculty list


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Project Professor
The University Museum, The University of Tokyo

Brief Biography
Fumio Matsumoto is an architect and project professor at the University Museum, the University of Tokyo. He received his Master of Architecture from Waseda University in 1986 and worked for Arata Isozaki’s atelier from 1986 to 1996. There he was in charge of architectural projects such as Kyoto Concert Hall and COSI museum in Columbus, OH. In 1997, he established his private office, Plannet Architectures in Tokyo. His works range from architectural and urban design projects to information design projects. Matsumoto received awards for competition entries for the future vision of Kyoto, Aomori prefectural museum, Nakazato village hall, and for information design projects such as Ryukyu Alive, Infotube and Ginga. Since 2005, Matsumoto has been a faculty member at the University Museum, the University of Tokyo. He has explored design concepts of museum architecture that creates a new relation between people, space, time, objects and information. While at the University Museum, Matsumoto has developed actual museum projects including Mobilemuseum, Imaginaria, Architectonica, Intermediatheque and others. He has also taught a variety of design studios at the University of Tokyo, Keio University and Hosei University, and served as a guest critic for Japan / Tokyo studios of Washington University in St. Louis, the University of British Columbia and the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Matsumoto received Architectural Institution of Japan Education Award 2023 for Excellent Educational Contribution.

Research Areas
While being involved in practical studies including space design, exhibition planning, and film production, Matsumoto has also undertaken design research concerning next-generation museum models. As knowledge platforms that facilitate new connections between people, spaces, objects, and information, museums have the potential to lead the way to the future. As a result of the global and increasing scale of production and consumption, the preservation and restoration of objects and information are becoming key issues for modern society. To give an overview of the situation surrounding museums as they head toward the next generation, in terms of basic function, there has been a transition from accumulation to creation. The change in terms of their actual form has been from centrali-zation to omnipresence, while the trend with respect to academic research has been a shift from fragmentation to integration. In other words, the role of the museum is changing, from a form of “closed storage” to an “open interface.” On the basis of an understanding of these present conditions, Matsumoto is undertaking research in the following areas.

1) Research on new proximity and a space design
2) Research on the expansion of museums within urban environments
3) Research on spatiotemporal museum design
4) Research on information navigation at museums
5) Developmental research on mobile exhibition units
6) Research on the Architecture of museum resources
7) Research on the representation of museum resources through film
8) Providing cultural support in post-disaster reconstruction areas

Academic Appointment
2015-	Project Professor,
	The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT)
2008-2015	Project Associate Professor, UMUT
2005-2008	Visiting Associate Professor, UMUT
Professional Practice
1997-	Principal, Plannet Architectures
1986-1996	Arata Isozaki and Associates
Visiting Faculty / Critic / Researcher
2004-2019	Keio University SFC
2006-	Kuwasawa Design School
2015, 2019-	Graduate School of Hosei University
2010, 2012-	SCI-Arc (Japan studio)
2006-2012	UBC (Tokyo studio, every other year)
2004,2005	Washington Universuty in St. Louis (Tokyo studio)
2002-2008	Graduate School of Nihon University
2001-2005	Hosei Universuty
2018-2021	Visiting researcher, Hosei University Research
	Center for Edo-Tokyo Studies
2022-	Lecturer, The Open University of Japan
2020-2023	Chief, Information Design Subcommittee,
	Architectural Institute of Japan
Education
1986	Master of Architecture, Waseda University, Tokyo
1984	Bachelor of Architecture, Waseda University, Tokyo
Projects
UMUT projects
2023	Naraha UMUT Collaborative Museum
	A Timeline of the Earth and the Town (exhibition) >>
2023	UMUT poster >>
2022	Sotolabo : AnnEX Lab. (activities) >>
2021	Architecture in the 20th Century (project) >>
2021	Spaces of Proximity (Social Space Model)(project) >>
2021	New Developments in Spatial History /
	UMUT SPATIUM (exhibition) >>
2021	3DVR of the Koishikawa Annex, UMUT (film/VR) >>
2020	Bottlebuilders (exhibition) >>
2020	Hall of Inspiration, UMUT (videos) >>
2019	Architecture of Shells (exhibition) >>
2019	Gardens and Archives Project
2018-2019	Le Corbusier at Chandigarh (exhibition)
	[Chiba lab., Dept. of Architecture, U-Tokyo] >>
2017	Memories of Architecture >>
2017	IMAGINARIA2 (exhibition,) >>
2017	DOKUMENTUM4 (editorial) >>
2016	Takaaki Kajita, Nobel Prize in Physics (exhibition) >>
2016	Archive project
2015	MOBILEMUSEUM 2006-2015 (editorial) >>
2015	Space Collection [Watanabe lab., Hosei U.] >>
2014	Layered Urban Ideas Mapping, Iwate >>
2013	ARCHITECTONICA (exhibition) >>
2013	Ozuchi Cultural House, Iwate >>
2013	Intermediatheque (museum) >>
2012-2015	Models of Thought (serial columns) >>
2011	Makabe Denshokan, Ibaraki [ADH Architects] >>
2011	Mobilemuseum in Sapporo
2011	IMAGINARIA (exhibition) >>
2011	musescape (film) >>
2010	defocused (film)
2010	i-Compass (i-Phone application) >>
2009	Cabinet of Architecture (exhibition) >>
2008	UMUT Openlab (exhibition) >>
2008	Togakushi Museum of Fossils and Geology (planning) >>
2007	Spiral Bench (U Tokyo) >>
2007	Kaitokumon Gate (U Tokyo) >>
2006-	Mobilemuseum (exhibition) >>
2006-	UMUT website design >>
2006	Exhibition unit design >>
Other projects
2005	Suburban Detached House, Ibaraki >>
2003	Ryukyu ALIVE (web archive) >>
2001	Northern Style Housing, Aomori >>
2001	CT (spatial visualization of Ginza) >>
2001	School in the Forest, Niigata >>
2001	Sasebo Ferry Terminal, Nagasaki
2000	Nakasato Village Hall, Gunma >>
2000	ETH World, Switzerland >>
2000	Singapore Management University, Singapore
2000	Aomori Prefectural Museum, Aomori >>
1999	TKTS2K, New York
1999	INFOTUBE (spatial visualization of Yokohama) >>
1999	GINGA (spatial visualization of WWW) >>
1998	N-City, Tokyo
1998	Architecture Triennale, Nara >>
1998	East River Regeneration, New York >>
1997	Networked Cities, Kyoto >>
1997	Jyvaskyla Music and Arts Center, Finland
Books and Articles
Matsumoto F. (2022) Comparative Study of the Design Principles of
Architecture in the 20th Century through Compilation Models,
Summaries of technical papers of annual meeting,
Architectural Institute of Japan.
Matsumoto F. (2022) Towards a Protolog of Images of the Body,
Protolog : Archetypes of Yamanaka Shunji's Work, UMUT.
Matsumoto F. (2021) Post-Pandemic Space Design Based on
the Reconstruction of Proximity, Summaries of technical papers
of annual meeting, Architectural Institute of Japan.
Kinoshita Y. and Matsumoto F. (2021) Danchi Power in Practice:
“Danchi Heritage” Perceived in Cultural Property and Spatial
Specimen, Architectural Institute of Japan。
Matsumoto F. (2020) Encyclopedia of Architectural Programs (partial),
Architectural Institution of Japan, Kajima Institute Publishing/
Matsumoto F. (2012-2015) Models of Thought. serial columns
in UT magazine. The University of Tokyo Press. (JP)
Kinoshita Y., Utsumi K. and Matsumoto F. (2013) Sekkei suru
Shintai wo Sodateru. Shokokusha. (JP)
Matsumoto F. (2013) Designs for Living on a Changing Earth.
Applied Dynamics; SCI-Arc and the reconstruction of
Tohoku. SCI-Arc.
Matsumoto F. (2010) MODELS: A Museum City of Architectural
Model. University of Tokyo Press. (JP)
Matsumoto F. (2007) A Perspective of Next-generation Museums.
Ouroboros Special Edition, UMUT. (JP)
Matsumoto F. (2006) Space + Architecture. Design Language 2.0.
edited by Okude N. and Wakita A. Keio University Press. (JP)
Matsumoto F. (2006) Preliminary Studies on Address, Gravity
and Receiver. 10+1, Number 42, INAX Publication. (JP)
Symposia and Lectures
"Pio-engineers in Modern Japan", International Symposium,
Intermediatheque, 2018
"World Architecture Travelogue", UMUT, 2017.
"The Architecture of Space: Connecting the Memories of
Architecture to the Creation of an Environment",
ARCHITECTONICA Seminar, UMUT, 2017.
"Design Concepts for a Next-generation Museum", International
Symposium on Global Collaboration among University Museums,
Asia Museum of Modern Art, Asia University, Taiwan, 2014.
Studios and Workshops
Space Design Workshop, The University of Tokyo, 2006- >>
Movie Design Workshop, The University of Tokyo, 2012- >>
Todai Classes at Ozuchi, UMUT, 2013-2018. >>
Museum Workshop, UMUT, 2012-
Professional Curator's Course, UMUT, 2006-2016.
Museum Design Workshop, Keio University, 2004-2019.
International Joint Workshop, SCI-Arc, Hosei, Keio U-Tokyo, 2010- >>
Joint Project, UBC-UTokyo, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012. >>
Tokyo Studio, Washington University in St. Louis, 2004, 2005.
Awards
Education Award: Architectural Institution of Japan, 2023. >>
Honorable Mention: Los Angeles Movie Awards, USA, 2012.
Selected Project: Promenade of Knowledge, U Tokyo, 2007.
Award of Excellence: Asia Digital Art Awards, 2003.
Jury's Recommendation: Japan Media Arts Festival, 2001.
Honorable Mention: Nakasato Village Hall, Gunma, 2000.
Special Mention: Aomori Prefectural Museum Competition, 2000.
Information Design Award: Multimedia Grand Prix, Japan, 2000.
Grand Prix: Nikkei Architecture Digital Design Competition, 1999.
Honorary Mention: Prix Ars Electronica, Austria, 1999.
Award of Austrian Architects, Award of the Audience:
Graz Biennale on Media and Architecture, Austria, 1999.
Art Award: Multimedia Grand Prix, Japan, 1999.
Third Place, Architecture Triennale, Nara, 1998.
Excellent Work Prize: N-City, Tokyo, 1998.
Honorable Mention: East River Project, New York, 1998.
Fine Work Prize: Future Vision of Kyoto, Kyoto, 1997.
Contact
matsumoto(a)um.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Cover of "MODELS: A Museum City of Architectural Models"


Diagram showing design phases from ideas to realization


Architecture in the 20th Century (Residential Architecture) >>