“It is said that stone is the affection of old men. That may be so. It is the most challenging to work. A dialogue ensues—of chance no chance, mistakes no mistakes. No erasing or reproduction is possible, at least in the way I work, leaving nature’s mark. It is unique and final.” Isamu Noguchi 

The proposal aims to design a temporary display system in appreciation of Noguchi’s process in making stone sculptures. The design specifically aimed for visitors to understand the story of the stone sculptures they look at within the first floor open area, and also to be able to touch all the finishes during Noguchi’s process of making, since the distinction between stones’ natural skin and human made finishes are such an important part of his intentions. The display will contain replicas of Noguchi’s original tools, and also a range of textures/ finishes. A simple wall will be attached with the display through a QR code, which takes the users through the mock up of the tool-using process.

“I like to think of playgrounds as a primer of shapes and functions; simple, mysterious, and evocative: thus educational. The child’s world would be a beginning world, fresh and clear.” Isamu Noguchi 

Theater of the Senses reinterprets Isamu Noguchi’s collaborations with Martha Graham into a multi-sensory playscape for kinetic engagement, rest, and socialization. It is designed specifically to support the needs of autistic children (ages 5–12) and their families within the museum context. Autistic children often experience museums as overwhelming environments due to unpredictable sensory stimuli, limited movement opportunities, and social expectations that don’t accommodate their natural ways of engaging with space.

Installed in the southeast corner of the garden during spring and summer, the theater includes a polyphonic laser harp, a quiet hideaway dome, stepping stones (to engage the proprioceptive system), communal seating, and removable safety surfacing to ensure accessibility for those using mobility aids. Rooted in research on inclusive playgrounds and sensory-inclusive design, the installation encourages movement, pause, and emotional regulation while fostering a sense of belonging through playful, participatory experiences.

This work reimagines the museum not as a static space, but as a dynamic, inclusive theater—where form meets function, and all bodies are welcomed.

“When the time came for me to work with larger spaces, I conceived them as gardens, not as sites with objects but as relationships to a whole.” Isamu Noguchi 

Still Boundaries is a site-specific installation proposal for The Noguchi Museum sculpture garden that explores the boundary between touchable vs. non-touchable sculpture. Inspired by Isamu Noguchi’s California Scenario (1980–82) and his philosophy of spatial awareness, restraint, and interaction, the project replaces traditional signage with soft, natural cues. Untouchable sculptures are surrounded by rings of finely crushed stone, forming subtle visual and tactile boundaries that guide visitor behavior without breaking the immersive experience of the garden. 

The installation encourages play and sculptural engagement through a secondary interactive structure composed of curated stones in a hidden corner of the garden. This underutilized site was identified through site analysis and is reactivated by inviting deeper exploration and reflection. Research into Noguchi’s carving techniques, material diversity, and influence from Japanese garden design, specifically ishihana and karensansui, shaped the language of the piece. The final proposal blends physical modeling, spatial planning, and material studies to reflect Noguchi’s practice of making sculpture part of a larger environment. 

Still Boundaries creates a balanced experience where tactile interaction and quiet observation coexist, inviting visitors to slow down, notice material details, and connect with the environment in ways that signage alone cannot achieve.

“The earth is a sculpture; the lack of it is also a sculpture. To walk on earth is to be aware of our place in the universe.” Isamu Noguchi

How can sensory elements like light, texture, and sound deepen our experience of space? Fluid Ground is a site-specific intervention that invites visitors to “move like water” through underexplored zones of The Noguchi Museum garden. Inspired by Noguchi’s harmony between art and nature, this project layers frosted, reflective surfaces with soft water sounds to guide bodies and senses toward overlooked sculptures. 

Drawing on research into Noguchi’s use of natural materials and his seamless blending of objects and environment, this proposal translates the fluidity of water into a multisensory spatial experience. Reflective glass pavers mimic calm ripples, catching sunlight and prompting visual curiosity without disrupting the garden’s serenity, while the paths’ gentle slopes invite tactile interaction and new movement patterns. 

The process involved analyzing site circulation, identifying areas of low engagement, and researching sustainable materials like 100% post-consumer fused glass. This blend of conceptual inquiry and material exploration resulted in a calm yet vibrant intervention—quietly deepening connection and presence within Noguchi’s contemplative landscape.

“Here where opposites finally come together, I see a surprising purity. Stone is the depth, metal the mirror. They do not conflict.” Isamu Noguchi

What makes a museum experience more inviting and inspires visitors to uncover the hidden perspectives of Noguchi’s work?

Reframed is an interactive bench installation designed for the garden of the Isamu Noguchi Museum, positioned near a sculpture often obscured from view by vegetation and distance. Rather than competing with the artwork, this piece acts as a quiet companion—its mirrored underside designed to reflect, reveal, and recontextualize the sculpture through active visitor engagement. As users slide a single mirror among three slots, they unlock shifting visual compositions that fill in spatial gaps, lending new meaning to the hidden forms of Noguchi’s work.

The design draws from Noguchi’s language of organic forms and harmony between material and void. Informed by site analysis and modular studies, the final bench creates an understated yet participatory platform that transforms passive viewing into a contemplative act. By offering seated, inclusive access to reflection, Reframed enriches the experience without overshadowing the art—inviting visitors to discover what was always there, waiting to be seen.

“It’s the people that move around it, you see, and it’s the relationship of the sculpture or sculptures or the relation to spaces, you might say, which is accomplished by the movement of people. The very fact that they have two legs and can move is the complement of sculpture.” Isamu Noguchi

This design transforms The Noguchi Museum’s outdoor space into an active viewing experience. This project started through studying Noguchi’s playground and public space designs and how he viewed topography as a sculptural element. A shallow trench encircles a central sculpture, encouraging movement and circumvention in line with Noguchi’s belief that sculpture should be discovered through motion. The excavated earth is reused as seating, turning the garden into a space for reflection, exploration, and engagement. Passive observation turns into a reflective and physical experience as viewers must move around the depression to fully experience the artwork.

“It is weight that gives meaning to weightlessness.” Isamu Noguchi 

Bridge as Belonging is an interactive bamboo installation designed for The Noguchi Museum garden during the winter months, when the main tree sheds its leaves. Inspired by Isamu Noguchi’s lifelong struggle with cultural identity and his exploration of form as a space for emotional tension, the piece draws from his wartime works and stage sets, where lightness became a way to express his experience of living between Eastern and Western worlds. Noguchi’s experiences as a Japanese American during WWII, including his internment and feelings of rejection, deeply shaped his art.

This project reflects those tensions through a suspended bamboo structure shaped like a Möbius strip, symbolizing the continuity of identities and the complexity of navigating between cultures. Constructed from reclaimed bamboo, hemp rope, and paper tags, the installation blends sustainability with collective participation. Visitors are invited to write personal reflections, wishes, or stories of identity on paper tags and hang them on the structure, allowing the work to grow through dialogue. Moving gently with the wind, the piece brings quiet presence to the dormant garden, creating a space for visitors to pause, reflect, and engage with their own experiences of belonging.

“The essence of sculpture is for me the perception of space, the continuum of our existence.” Isamu Noguchi 

Noguchi described his work with Akari as one of the most joyful chapters of his life, the goal of this installation is to spread that sense of joy to visitors. Experiential Akari is a pass-through structure with multiple entrances inspired by Noguchi’s work with Akari. Utilizing similar materiality and construction methods as well as fluctuating levels of light, Experiential Akari provides a change in contrast and proximity to the visitor experience while providing a new way to look at Akari. Experiential Akari would be installed in the summer months at The Noguchi Museum, as this minimizes risk of the structure being damaged by weather, and takes advantage of the natural sunlight in the space. Overall, Experiential Akari gives new perspective to one of Noguchi’s favorite forms of working, and adds a light, close contrast to one of the darker, more cavernous areas of the garden. 

“I am interested in the landscape of the earth itself because it is the source of all our experience.” Isamu Noguchi 

Belo introduces a sunken seating installation within the quiet zone of The Noguchi Museum, inviting visitors to engage with Isamu Noguchi’s work from a lowered vantage point. This spatial shift contrasts with conventional eye-level viewing, encouraging a slower pace and deeper contemplation.  

Noguchi consistently challenged the boundaries of sculpture, moving beyond traditional forms to create works that are simultaneously abstract and intimately connected to nature and the human condition. His designs for parks, plazas, and playgrounds exemplified this ethos, offering the public spaces for interaction, reflection, and play.  

Belo responds to this philosophy by creating a sculptural void that blends with the surrounding  landscape, inviting touch, rest, and new perspectives. One side of the formation is intentionally left open, inviting freedom of movement, non-traditional sitting styles, and shifting gaze orientations across the surrounding environment. Beneath the seating is a network of steam pipes. During winter, these pipes emit warmth through the concrete and the seating, creating a subtle but comforting heat that transforms the void into a welcoming refuge in cold weather.