Winter Solstice Light Worship Tunnel / ©Odawara Art Foundation
The Odawara Art Foundation Enoura Observatory, a major project privately funded by photographer and contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, who is also well-versed in traditional performing arts and antique art, opened to the public on October 9th after 20 years from conception to construction. Spread out on a hill overlooking Sagami Bay, Enoura Observatory features several buildings, including a gallery building displaying photography and antique art, a tea room, and an optical glass stage. Here, we introduce the highlights of the observatory. Sugimoto ascended to the stage of the "Optical Glass Stage," designed to jut out from the hillside and giving the audience the appearance of floating on the water. "The ocean view from here is a childhood memory. I named Enoura Observatory 'Weather Station,' meaning 'a place to measure the distance between myself and the world and the universe.' I exhibit many of the antique art pieces I have personally collected, hoping to revive an 'ancient sensibility' in the modern era." From the seats on the "Optical Glass Stage," a replica of the remains of a Roman amphitheater, spectators can watch the performance with the horizon as their backdrop and the breeze. Furthermore, nearby runs a 70-meter tunnel (the "Winter Solstice Light Worship Tunnel"), aligned with the axis of the winter solstice sunrise. Enoura Observatory is dotted with artworks (devices) that allow visitors to "observe" the magnificent scenery, where nature and art intertwine.

The "Summer Solstice Light Worship Gallery," created as a counterpart to the "Winter Solstice Light Worship Tunnel," features 37 freestanding glass panels as windows. It was designed so that sunlight rising from the sea would sweep through the space for several minutes on the morning of the summer solstice. The 100-meter gallery displays Sugimoto's signature "Seascape" series, and at its tip is an observation space overlooking Sagami Bay.

The buildings, stone towers, and stones relocated and reconstructed at Enoura Observatory are all from Sugimoto's collection. According to Sugimoto, "In the process of building Enoura Observatory, these objects naturally gathered in the places where they belonged." The Meigetsumon Gate, originally built during the Muromachi period and donated and reconstructed by Tokyo's Nezu Museum, and the Ishibutai (stone stage) were constructed using boulders originally used in the stone walls of Edo Castle. The stone torii gate in the garden of the Uchoten teahouse was modeled after one designated an Important Cultural Property in Kodachi, Yamagata Prefecture. The cornerstones of the Wakakusagaran (Wakakusa Temple) at Horyuji Temple, acquired just before the museum's opening, are a testament to Sugimoto's aesthetic sense, evident in every detail of the landscaping. The Odawara Art Foundation Enoura Observatory, a fusion of historical relics and cutting-edge architectural technology, is sure to continue evolving. When asked how he plans to manage this space, Sugimoto replied with a childlike smile, "I'll consider what to do as I use it. As long as I have the lifespan and funding, I want to create more works."