Announcing Pace Tokyo

Pace is pleased to announce that it will open a gallery in the new Azabudai Hills development in central Tokyo, with plans to welcome visitors in 2024.

Pace’s gallery space will be situated on the lower floors of a building designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick. The interiors of the gallery—spanning three floors and approximately 5,500-square-feet—will be designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, whose practice focuses on the symbiotic relationships between the human body, the natural world, and architectural design. Among Fujimoto’s notable projects across Japan and Europe are the Musashino Art University Museum and Library in Tokyo, completed in 2010, and the 2013 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London.

In addition to the 3,000 square feet of exhibition space split across the first and second floors, the third floor features an outdoor terrace, integrated within the building’s landscaped design concept to evoke rolling hills.

Pace’s interest in Tokyo dates to the late 1960s when founder Arne Glimcher first began to regularly visit in an effort to connect with the artists, curators, and collectors in the city. In the decades that followed, Pace has remained deeply involved in the arts community in Japan. Pace represents some of the most important artists working today in Japan, including Lee Ufan, Yoshitomo Nara, Kohei Nawa, and teamLab.

Marc Glimcher, CEO of Pace Gallery, says:

“Tokyo is and has always been a key city in the international cultural scene. Over the past few years, Tokyo’s increasing importance in the Asian art ecosystem has become even clearer. As one of the great capitals of the world it is a place where ancient and modern cultures combine with an incredibly vibrant contemporary art scene. I’m thrilled to announce that we will open a permanent gallery in Tokyo next year. Pace’s artists have always held Tokyo and Japan to be a touchstone of artistic innovation, so it is incredibly exciting to offer those artists a home and a team in this endlessly dynamic city. Tokyo will also give us an opportunity to spend more time with our Japanese artists and collaborate more closely with our colleagues in other Japanese galleries, with whom we have had such long and productive relationships. We believe it is time for Japan to take its place again as one of the most prominent collecting communities in the world, and I hope that Pace can play an important role in that growth.”

Located in the heart of Tokyo, Azabudai Hills is the newest project by Mori Building, specialists in urban redevelopment working primarily in central Tokyo. Azabudai Hills has been conceived as a “Modern Urban Village,” or a compact city with a central plaza surrounded by lush greenery where people can connect, centered around a verdant central green plaza. The development prizes sustainability and is powered entirely by renewable energy. The design of the Azabudai Hills complex was engineered by world-leading architects and designers, including Thomas Heatherwick, and has been more than 35 years in the making.

Further details about Pace’s new gallery in Tokyo and the opening exhibition program will be announced in due course.