"Architecture expresses an extremely artificial order."
-Toyō Itō
In an interview with Toyō Itō, he explains that the inspiration behind the Sendai Mediatheque began with an image of something like seaweed floating inside an aquarium. The euphemism of seaweed was used in the context of space, in which fluidity would be highlighted through the use architecture. In order to establish this fluidity there must be a balance between light and air. To achieve this, Itō came up with the concept of the tubes that run through all the floors, creating the illusion of flow among the floors. In contrast, Itō also wanted the building to be as if it were just building piled on top of each other. The balance between this contrast and cohesiveness is what makes the Sendai Mediatheque revolutionary.