Arata Isozaki in China: An Archipelago of Architecture

The CAFA Art Museum in Beijing is hosting the exhibition Arata Isozaki: China Through the Eyes of a World Citizen until August 24, 2025. The show features ten selected projects from the renowned architect’s extensive body of work in China over the past thirty years. The exhibition is conceived as an "archipelago" - ten architectural "islands" to be explored as distinct yet interconnected stations, each highlighting the unique character and mutual resonance of Isozaki’s creations. These works engage in a dialogue between local history and global vision, embodying the architect’s ability to create spaces that speak powerfully both to China and the wider world. A recipient of the 2019 Pritzker Prize, Isozaki is the author of landmark buildings such as the CAFA Art Museum itself, the Shenzhen Cultural Center, and the Shanghai Symphony Hall. The museum, inaugurated in 2008 and designed by Isozaki, stands as a symbol of his engagement with the evolving urban landscape.
The exhibition invites visitors to “navigate” through architecture and place, experiencing the coexistence of memory, innovation, and cultural openness - an opportunity to explore the architectural legacy of one of the most influential figures of the 20th and 21st centuries.