Mingei International Museum

Mingei International Museum has a 40-year legacy of exhibiting and commissioning craft and design objects with the goal of preserving traditional practices and celebrating those who carry forward the hand-hewn objects.

The term Mingei means ‘art of the people’ in Japanese culture; a term coined by Soetsu Yanagi in 1927 as he wrote about the loss of hand-arts to industrialization and explored the future of craft in the modern world. Today, the Mingei Museum transformation project sits at the center of the contemporary conversation between digitally driven arts and the hand.

The Mingei Museum’s site, at San Diego’s historic Balboa Park, became a key discussion for the design team and one that would shape extensive, respectful changes made to the 1915 World’s Fair building to open its walls to the Park’s landscape and to the City’s community. The museum’s transformation evolved from an approach of looking outward, searching inward and ultimately, blurring the boundaries that often separate museum experience from public life., creating a civic message of building community identity through the arts.

The ground floor has adopted its affection name of ‘Living Room of the Park’ housing programming that invites all citizens to engage; galleries, café and restaurant, education wing and Shop Mingei. A new Theater addition offers space for museum events and performances, outdoor terraces and courtyards offering space for public gatherings. An Arts research library invites the public to learn and study in the setting of a room with a view of the galleries. The Restaurant teaches lessons in cuisine as a form of craft and bring joy to the experience of the museum. The museum becomes a place to gather with friends and family as one navigates the often-new experience of exploring the history of design, craft and folk art.

Awards:
AIA National Honor Award
AIA San Diego Honor Award
AIA San Diego Divine Detail Award