January
04, 2005 - Ando Blitz - Awaji Island
Today Diana, Ling-san (a Malaysian friend from my lab at school), and I bundled up and headed to Awaji Island to take in some more of Tadao Ando's Architecture. First stop was at the fishing town of Akashi to catch a ferry.
We just missed the "Taco" (octopus) ferry, and had to wait for the dolphin ferry.
This is Diana just after we passed under the world's longest single span suspension bridge which connects Awaji island to Honshu (the big island).
Ling-san and I in front of the very small Eshima Island.
The rock formations on Eshima island were spectacular.
Our first official stop was Ando's "Water Temple". The entry path winds up a hill to a small passage at the end of a very long and tall wall. I liked how the greenery passed through the opening.
Once through the opening you travel along another very long and tall wall - this one is curves out of view.
The wall ends and you turn the corner...
Wa la! A big pond. In the summer it has many lilly pads.
In the middle of the pond a stairwell descends into the abyss.
Submerged at the bottom of the stair is passage to a bathroom (witch we are facing) and..
A passage to a Buddhist temple. Nice. Next stop...
Tadao Ando's Architectureland... "Awaji Yumebutai", an enormous complex built on an enormous excavation site - the dirt was used to create an enormous man made island near Kobe. It was a bit like visiting an enormous architectural disneyland, fun but a bit over the top. Did I mention that the place was enormous?
There was a very large greenhouse on the grounds - Diana went berserk."This is on of my favorite gardens" she said with reverence as we came upon the succulent pond. There were many crazy Flintstone looking trees and shrubs on a grid of islands.
Diana was all about the flowers and...
I was gaga over the roof structure.
I especially liked how the truss framework transferred weight to the columns.
The entire excavation site was littered with structures. The building on the right is a three sided box filled with stairs to nowhere.
This is an oval atrium. Note the sundial on the left
Here it is close up.
And here it is from the hallway behind the wall. Pokes right through. Cool.
The highest structure on the site was an Escher like memorial garden,
with an elevator,
and many flower beds .
We liked this quiet little corner .
