Zoo / Design / Wonder: Designing "being alive"
event
Updated March 21, 2026
A special exhibition is being held at a gallery in Roppongi.
A special exhibition is being held at a gallery in Roppongi.
In 2024, Inokashira Park Zoo hosted a special collaborative exhibition with four other zoos, titled "Welcome to Designale: Tokyo Zoo and Aquarium Design Studio," focusing on the "design" of zoos and aquariums. As the second installment of this project, the venue will move to the museum shop "Souvenir from Tokyo" inside the National Art Center, Tokyo, where a special exhibition on the theme of "design" of zoos and aquariums will be held.
The title of this issue is "Zoo / Design / Wonder: Designing 'Being Alive'." Zoos and aquariums aim to be not only places to enjoy encounters with living creatures, but also places to learn about living things in a fun way and to think about the future of the planet. The power of "design" supports this. "Designing 'Being Alive'"—it's a very difficult, but fascinating, task, and we will share the charm of zoo and aquarium design.
At the venue, you can see the unique design approaches of zoos and aquariums through the exhibits, including the process of depicting living creatures in a stylized yet biologically accurate manner, and the ingenuity used to communicate them in an easy-to-understand way.
Furthermore, taking advantage of the museum shop's location, we will also be selling original merchandise designed by in-house designers from Tokyo Metropolitan Zoos and Aquariums.
Whether you've seen "Designale" before or this is your first time, you'll find something to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you there.
Event Overview
Event Overview
March 18, 2026 (Wednesday) - May 11, 2026 (Monday)
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM *Until 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays only / Closed every Tuesday (following the closing days of the National Art Center, Tokyo)
Souvenir from Tokyo SFT GALLERY (B1F, The National Art Center, Tokyo)
Venue-exclusive original merchandise
Venue-exclusive original merchandise
We will also be selling merchandise that can only be purchased at the venue, such as embroidered patches, hand towels, and postcard sets created based on designs from past flyers and other materials.
