Site of Reversible Destiny: The park that throws gravity out the window
Posted on February 2, 2021
Using the rolling landscapes of Gifu Prefecture as their terrestrial canvas, artists Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins built the Site of Reversible Destiny, Yoro Park in 1995. Designed with the intention of creating a fully immersive, kinesthetic experience for the public, the park features bizarre and unexpected structures spanning across an area of 18,000 square meters. Reminiscent of an adult playground, this space brings you straight back to childhood—a time when exploration and wonder were once our most natural, instinctive responses to our surroundings.
photo by @samanthamilligan
Firstly, take a wander through the rainbow painted Reversible Destiny Office, where your dreams will begin to blur with reality. With mirrors for floors and a maze to navigate through, you’ll have a hard time distinguishing up from down.
photo by @pridhex
The unique structural creations at the Site of Reversible Destiny encourage us to reframe our perception and the ways in which we interact with the world around us.
photo by @turtlekazuma
What better way to enjoy art than experiencing it?
photo by @tssjrs
The folds and crevasses of the building create natural spots for you to go hide between. Talk about nooks and crannies!
photo by @asagi_music_photo
The Elliptical Field is a concave, green basin dotted with unconventional architectural creations and evergreen trees. Riding along the undulating silhouette of the park is an impressive wall capped with half-dome shaped roofs.
photo by @stevie_shuu
Due to the uneven terrain, visitors are advised to ditch the heels and wear rubber shoes instead which are available to rent at the park. Even helmets are provided!
photo by @tetete_tototo_to
photo by @maikid
The Critical Resemblance House is perhaps the most ‘trippy’ of all the attractions, with up-side down furniture hanging off the walls. The house also features a cartographic roof, with the land and sites of Gifu Prefecture mapped out all across the top of the building.
photo by @rinlinrin
Tickets are offered at varying prices for under 18s and at 770 yen for adults. Get your sneakers on and get your heart rate pumping while you make your way through mazes, steep hills, and dark tunnels.
photo by @hannah.waldron
If the concept of the Site of Reversible Destiny sparks your curiosity and gets you wondering whether destiny really can be reversed, more about Arakawa and Gins’ vision of the project can be read about in their essay “Architecture: Sites of Reversible Destiny.” Highly intriguing stuff!
Access:
1298-2 Takabayashi, Yoro-cho, Yoro-gun, Gifu-ken
養老天命反転地
Written by: Maya Kimura Watts
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