These beguiling glass steps are the central feature of an abandoned Edo-period (1603-1867) shrine in Naoshima, Japan, which was given new life by Japanese photographer and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto in 2002. The redesign was part of the Art House Project, a programme inviting various artists to transform derelict spaces in Naoshima’s Honmura district into new works of art, taking into account the history of the original structure. Sugimoto’s optical stairway links the shrine’s main building to an underground chamber made of stone, signifying the mystical connection between heaven and earth.
