Infinite Exploration
Lodge at Oyunuma
Hokkaido, Japan
On a winding road, you come across the Lodge of Infinite Exploration. You enter what seems like a small village of simple wooden A-frame buildings, each one unique with a unique program. From there, you start your journey. Between the dense forest, from one path to another, you are brought into the nature of Oyunuma, forced to be one with the branches, the leaves, the sky and the hills. Each step brings you to a new view, a new place. The bathing garden, almost hidden in the topography and trees, you just barely see the concrete structure peeking out. Inside you are met with smooth, simple, yet inviting spaces. Inside, there is no mystery with where to go, from one experience to another, you move through the building and come out changed. Refreshed, unbent, a new, this is you after a couple hours in the pools and saunas. The architecture leads you through then out to the next journey. Where do you end up next? This is a mystery to be explored. The archive, a place to reflect on the experiences of the past? The greenhouse, a place to grow, grow plants and food, and to grow as a human. The grotto, a place to immerse yourself within the ground, the waters and the world. Each winding path leads you to a new place, to a new journey, to a new place of exploration.