Tokyo’s MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives Named One of the World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2026 by the UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles
MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, a new cultural hub within TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, has been selected by the Prix Versailles, hosted at UNESCO, as one of the World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2026. This marks the second nomination for a Japanese museum, following the Simose Art Museum in 2024.
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Established in 2015, the Prix Versailles honors global excellence in architecture by promoting “intelligent sustainability,” where culture serves and transcends the environment. Selected projects are celebrated for their innovation, creativity, reflections of local heritage, and ecological efficiency, as well as values of social interaction and participation highly regarded by the United Nations.
Opened on March 28 at Japan’s first railway birthplace, MoN Takanawa’s verdant, spiraling form — from facade to flowing interior — redefines the museum’s role in contemporary cities.
Comments from the architects and the Prix Versailles:
Kengo Kuma, Architect│Exterior Design
I envisioned a green hill within the city. Its slopes weave seamlessly between inside and outside, wandering between art, performance, and information—attaining a level of ‘freedom’ unprecedented in any museum. This is not merely an attempt to restore greenery to the city, but a challenge to restore freedom to the city itself.
Shinagawa Development Project (Phase 1) Design JV│Interior Design
MoN Takanawa is a museum open to the city, designed to foster diverse cultural experiences and community interaction. Its expansive atrium flows across split-level floors and ramps in a gentle three-dimensional composition, inviting visitors to move freely between activities.
Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles
At the dawn of this 12th edition of the Prix Versailles, MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives illuminates the panoramic frame of newly established museums with its architectural concept. The urban integration of this exceptional cultural consortium provides Tokyo with an ambitious and profoundly inspiring example of a sustainable achievement.
The List of the World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2026
The seven laureates are eligible for the World Titles to be announced at the end of the year.
- Zayed National Museum│Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Science & Technology Museum│Shenzhen, China
- Xuelei Fragrance Museum│Guangzhou, China
- MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives│Tokyo, Japan
- Lost Shtetl Museum│Šeduva, Lithuania
- National Medal of Honor Museum│Arlington, United States
- Islamic Civilization Center│Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Website: https://montakanawa.jp/
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Contact
East Japan Railway Foundation for Cultural Innovation: [email protected]
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Its slopes weave seamlessly between inside and outside, wandering between art, performance, and information—attaining a level of ‘freedom’ unprecedented in any museum.
