Shiga Prefectural Lake Biwa Museum Phase 1 Renewal

Twenty years have passed since the museum opened, and displays displays have further deepened the "relationship between lakes and humans" that has continued since the beginning.
concept design connects displays with the landscape, fields, lifestyles, and feelings, and focuses on the changes and progress over the past 20 years in each habitat, as well as the relationships with people, and through experiences, dioramas, and animal breeding, it truly depicts the current state of Lake Biwa.
The "Living Creatures Collection" in displays Room C features specimens of creatures that live in Lake Biwa and its watershed, creating a space where visitors can experience the beauty and diversity at a glance.
The aquarium displays room visualizes underwater creatures, sparking interest in living creatures. With the addition of the popular Baikal seal and a "micro aquarium" featuring tiny creatures, this new museum format has attracted many visitors and researchers.

As the museum celebrates its 20th anniversary, it has completely renewed its displays and updated its aging facilities.
The museum's mission was to fulfill the role that the original Lake Biwa Museum had aimed for, and to make a new start as an even more evolved comprehensive museum that would be widely loved and utilized by the people of the prefecture.
Regarding the aquatic displays, we were also asked to displays the Baikal seal, the only animal in the world that lives in freshwater, to the public in order to widely communicate its ecology. The client's request was to create displays that would be enjoyable and understandable for a wide range of people, from children to adults, with Lake Biwa at the center.

displays Room C provides visitors of all ages with hands-on experiences to learn about Lake Biwa's nature, ecology, folklore, and creatures.
The aquatic displays also focused on the tiny plankton, introducing their shape, ecology, etc. in a lab-style setting, creating displays that is unique in the country.