A former industrial outpost, the island was reborn 25 years ago under the aegis of Soichiro Fukutake, whose father founded the successful Fukutake Publishing Company. “Mr. Fukutake wanted to create an island where artists wanted to place their art,” explains Tadao Ando. Fukutake managed to do so partly with the aid of Ando, who authored the combined art museum-hotel Benesse House, Naoshima’s first major development, as well as the more recent Chichu (RECORD, October 2005, page 116) and Lee Ufan museums, among other buildings on the island. But when it came to displaying the architect’s own work, Fukutake asked Ando to utilize the historic house, one of many purchased by Fukutake for art installations. While a number of Naoshima’s 430,000 annual visitors come to see its contemporary art collection, few leave unmoved by Ando’s architecture.