21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art — Circular Museum of Light & Space

The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (金沢21世紀美術館) is a revolutionary circular museum building designed by architects Sejima and Nishizawa (SANAA) in 2004. The museum won the Golden Lion at the 2004 Venice Biennale for its radical approach: a transparent glass cylinder with no front or back, multiple entrances, and free-access public zones surrounding paid exhibition galleries. The design embodies democratic accessibility — the museum integrates seamlessly with the surrounding park, blurring boundaries between art institution and public space.

The museum's most famous permanent installation is Leandro Erlich's 'Swimming Pool' (2004) — a pool viewed from above appears to contain swimmers walking underwater, but it's actually a glass layer creating an optical illusion. Visitors can view from above for free or descend into the 'underwater' chamber (paid zone) to interact with people looking down. Other permanent works include Pipilotti Rist's video installations, James Turrell's light room, and Anish Kapoor's reflective sculpture. The museum specializes in contemporary Japanese and international artists working with light, space, and interactivity, creating experiences that challenge perception and encourage playful engagement with art.