Miho Museum Bridge

ミホミュージアムの橋

Koka / Shiga prefecture – completed 1997

The way to the Miho Museum leads to a tunnel entrance. The tunnel is about 200 metres long and slightly curved so that the exit is not visible at the beginning. At the other end, the tunnel opens into a suspension bridge that is stretched over a gorge about 100 metres deep. The passage through the tunnel is supposed to symbolise entering another, paradise-like world (Shangri-La). The bridge opens into a small forecourt from which a few steps lead up to the entrance of the museum. This small staircase resembles the typical stairways to Japanese temples.