The Pavilion for Japanese Art, built in the 1980s, was designed especially to exhibit and view Japanese art. The exterior walls of the pavilion are made of Kalwall, a translucent material that allows light to enter the gallery in much the same way that shoji screens work; this modulates the outdoor light’s effects according to the time of day, the season of the year, and the brightness due to weather.

All of the objects in this gallery come from the region known as Mesoamerica: the diverse geographic and cultural regions that comprise much of Mexico, as well as modern-day Guatemala, Belize and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. Look for Mayan and Aztec ceramics, vessels and sculpted figures from throughout the region.

In this gallery, you see evidence of the elaborate systems of trade that developed in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes. Look for jewelry made from jade, gold, and copper. Trade led to new achievements in the arts, as materials and influences moved from one region to another. Long-distance maritime trade routes ran from southern Peru all the way to the western shores of what is now Mexico.

This gallery of the ancient Americas includes a large collection of artifacts from West Mexico. About 2000 years ago, powerful rulers began building large ceremonial centers in the region comprising the modern states of Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima. Unlike their peers in other ancient Mexican cultures, they constructed elaborate subterranean shaft and chamber tombs for their ancestors.

You can't see them from down here, but the roof over your head is blanketed in 493 solar panels. Together these panels produce nearly 100,000 watts of electricity per day, which is used to power the Chris Burden artwork, Urban Light.

You’re now in the Resnick Pavilion, the largest purpose-built, naturally-lit, open-plan museum space in the world. The unique roofline allows even, natural light into the space, ideal for viewing art and reducing energy consumption while the layout allows considerable flexibility for exhibition design and installation.
Tap the icon above to see how this space has adapted to accomodate a diverse range of exhibitions.