Sayamaike Museum of Water Engineering

Osakasayamaike, October 16

As I rounded the berm that circles the Sayamaike pond – built hundreds of years ago as one of Japan’s first irrigation systems – the windowless concrete and stone buildings of the museum dominated the horizon. At first sight, I admit to being disappointed; the grayness of the day only made the grayness of the buildings that much more drab and foreboding. As I grew closer, though, its layers unfolded, and the murmur of water entered my ears. It may have only been a murmur, but it was the kind of murmur that tells you something big is ahead. First a distant whisper, it grew one step louder as I turned each corner to make my way through the museum’s extensive forecourts.

Finally the full drama came into view: a sunken water court, long and narrow, with the museum abutting one of the long sides and an auxiliary building at the other. Visitors pass by calm pools of water at grade level, where they ultimately arrive at the top of a set of stairs that cascade down into the water court: water plunges down from the buildings into a shallow pond. The water originates in the pools above; it falls over the edges of the buildings and into the court below. Here the waterfalls are at their loudest and most intense, as the noise reverberates off of the tall stone and concrete walls over and over again. To get to the museum entry, visitors must pass behind or immediately in front of the sheets of falling water, then through a second courtyard – this one circular – and up a series of curved ramps.

The message is literally loud and clear: this place is all about the water. The museum itself was interesting, but without translations, there weren’t many reasons for me to linger. Instead, I took up temporary residence at the roof garden “un deux” café, where I sit writing this while sipping sour plumb juice and munching a grilled cheese and sesame-pickle sandwich.

Use of water in design is one facet of biophilia – that’s what drew me to this study site. There are many aspects of the design that I would consider to be biophilic, especially the sense of prospect and refuge and the incredible dynamism of the water court and surrounding spaces. The sound of the water falling, however, is so overwhelming that, to me, it is more disturbing than regenerative. While aspects of this design could be adapted for other uses, I certainly wouldn’t want to experience the acoustic intensity of Sayamaike’s water in very many places.

Transportation count: 1 train (55 minutes) each way