Photos, building models and documentaries are on display to show Japanese architect Tadao Ando's designs. [Photo provided to China Daily]

This idea is best illustrated through his work on Naoshima, an island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea, where he has finished seven structures, including the Chichu Art Museum that houses masterpieces by such famous artists as James Turrel and Claude Monet. The project is showcased at the exhibition via a large installation that combines video projection with architectural models and manuscripts.

Ando and the landlord, Soichiro Fukutake, have worked together for over three decades to rejuvenate the island, which was once heavily polluted and made barren by sulfuric acid.

Ando's other important works, such as the Church of the Light in Osaka, the Row House－also known as the Azuma House－in Sumiyoshi and his major creations in China, are showcased through pictures and models.

The Pearl Art Museum is connected with a Xinhua Book Store, which is also part of Ando's design. The bookstore is located on the mall's seventh floor, right under the museum. The two spaces are joined by a circular hall with bookshelf-lined walls under a "starlit" arched roof.