This redbrick building, which serves as the symbol of the Kyoto National Museum and which is primarily used for special exhibitions, was completed in October 1895 and opened in May of 1897. Designed by Tokuma Katayama (1854-1917), a leading architect for the Imperial Household Agency, the Special Exhibition Hall (originally, the Main Hall of the Former Imperial Museum of Kyoto) and the Main Gate area, constructed in red brick, were designated Important Cultural Properties in 1969. The area of this building-consisting of a reception area, a central gallery, and ten smaller galleries-is 3,015 m2, while the exhibition space is 2,070 m2.