Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - The protocol of the government commission approved the design concept for the reconstruction of the building of the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan, developed by the world-famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Culture.

The final draft will be provided by the end of 2020. The project for the reconstruction of the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan, scheduled for 2019-22, is being implemented by the Fund for the Development of Culture and Art under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

By the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 1019 of 19 December 2019, the territory of the alley adjacent to the museum was transferred to the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan for its expansion and modernization, located at the intersection of Shakhrisabz, T. Shevchenko and Yakka Chinor streets. The additional space will make it possible to fully implement the Tadao Ando concept, in which the existing building will inherit the structure and facade of the original architecture.

A new exhibition gallery with a total area of more than 17 thousand square meters, made of glass and concrete and typical for the architecture of Tadao Ando, will be built on the additionally allocated territory. At the same time, a green terrace will be laid out on the roof of the existing building - an intermediate space serving to connect the new and old buildings.

Reconstruction of the museum building will increase the total area of the museum to 25,000 square meters, and thereby expand both the museum’s exhibition space and create a new storage facility that meets modern requirements.

The building of the current museum, designed by architects I. Abdulov, A. Nikiforov, S. Rosenblum, was built in 1974 and is an architectural monument. The particular value of this project lies in the fact that the project for the reconstruction of the museum building carried out by Tadao Ando combines modern trends in architecture with the historical value and integrity of the object and represents the social architecture of today.

“I would like the concept of this museum to include and unite a circle and a square. These forms are inspired by the traditions of Uzbekistan but are also associated with all the cultures of the world. The local and the global can come together in the design of this museum. I want to create a modern museum that embodies the values of history and tradition down to their basic elements”, said Tadao Ando.

Tadao Ando is one of the most renowned and sought-after architects in the world. In 1995 he was awarded the Pritzker Prize for excellence in individual architecture.

The most famous projects of Tadao Ando are the building of the Francois Pinault Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris (France), the buildings of the Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi museums in Venice (Italy), the Pulitzer Center for the Arts in Missouri (USA), the Temple of Light (Japan). The buildings created by the architect Tadao Ando are becoming one of the main attractions of the region and country where they are created and are an example of how iconic cultural buildings can bring about significant transformations in both the city and the country.

The project for the reconstruction of the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan has already aroused a certain interest from admirers of the work of the architect Tadao Ando, as well as representatives of the world cultural community, which makes it possible to talk about the creation of a certain pool of museum experts and philanthropists to support the project that can become a central element of the city and district development strategy who wants to rebuild and show the world his new face.

The Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan has already reached agreements with leading museums of the world on establishing partnerships and conducting joint projects in the renovated State Museum of Art of Uzbekistan with museums such as Louvre, Institute of the Arab World (Paris, France), Albertina (Vienna , Austria), James Simon Gallery (Berlin, Germany), Tretyakov Gallery, "Hermitage" (Russia).