Japanese architect Hiroshi Sambuichi has staged an ambitious installation within a former underground water reservoir in Copenhagen.
Conceived as ‘a journey through an underground sea of light and darkness’, the installation has been documented in detail by danish photographer Rasmus Hjortshøj. The monumental halls of the space, known as The Cistern, have been transformed into a subterranean landscape, which forms Sambuichi’s first major exhibition outside of Japan.
In accordance with his architectural practice, which is driven by the forces of nature, Hiroshi Sambuichi began the assignment by carrying out a study of the surrounding area. The installation is titled ‘The Water’, a name that references the return of natural elements to the site. Designed to form an extension of the neighboring Søndermarken park, the Cisternerne has been entirely transformed with vegetation and natural light.
‘The various characteristics of the cisterns that could be considered problematic — the constant flow of water, the extremely high humidity level, the 17 seconds of echo and the absence of daylight — were to Sambuichi the best possible starting point for a project,’ says Astrid La Cour, director of the Frederiksberg Museums. ‘He immediately understood the unique character of the place.’
Photography by Rasmus Hjortshøj – COAST
