The building was designed by Yoshio Taniguchi and has been furnished with the latest in conservation technology. The reference room on the 2nd floor mezzanine has the "digital archive" which allows visitors to view the entire collection of Horyuji Treasures on computer with explanations provided in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English, and French. A restaurant is located on the ground floor.
* The Horyuji Treasures consist of over 300 valuable objects, mainly from the 7th - 8th century, which were donated to the Imperial Household by Horyuji Temple in 1878.