The Asian Art housed in the Rijksmuseum forms an autonomous collection with splendid pieces, works of art that neither can easily be located within the chronological tour of the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum, nor do they relate well to the architecture of the nineteenth century building. The goal was to design a separate building for the collection, the Asian Pavilion.

The Asian Pavilion is situated in the south, in a nearly forgotten part of the garden between the Philips wing and the main building. The irregular floor plan and sloped roof originate as a response to the lack of space and as a way of being related to the adjacent facades.

The building will be reflected in a rectangular pool, intending to emphasize its autonomy as a unique and independent piece in the garden. The pavilion has two floors, a smaller one above ground and an underground level that coincides with the floor of the pool. The east facade permits views from the exterior to parts of the collection inside. The facades of the Pavilion are made with same stone used in the interventions in the courtyards and in the Entrance Building.