Overview
About Benesse House
A Museum with rooms
Benesse House is an incredible place. In a setting that hovers between James Bond in Dr no and the TV series The Prisoner, your stay here is bound to be one of the best memories of your trip.
Built by the celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando, Benesse House opened in 1995 and has evolved constantly ever since.
In a building that serves as a museum for the modern art collection of Japanese multimillionaire Nobuko Fukutake, Tadao Ando has created a dozen or so rooms that form part of the museum itself. One great advantage is that, once the visitors have left for the day, the building is at your disposal and you can wander freely among the artworks. In fact, to reach the restaurant (featuring a painting by Basquiat) from your room, you have to pass through the museum…
Other than works worthy of any international museum (Giacometti, Jasper Johns, Sam Francis, Jackson Pollock, David Hockney…), some of the art is exhibited in the open air right down to the beach, where there is a Jacuzzi… Usable at night, this faces an extraordinary desert-like volcanic island, which adds to the mysterious and enigmatic nature of the place. Just so that you don’t miss anything, when the tide is high swimming is a real delight.
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Facilities & Pricing
Price:
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| Luxury or Special Occasions | | US $400 to $550/ € 400 to € 550 / UK £200 to £275 |
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From the different types of room on offer, the top choice are those in the “Oval”. Access is by a little private monorail, like something out of a science fiction film, especially at night when the waning-light of the carriage lamp illuminates the surroundings like the eye of a Cyclops. Once you’re up there, the entrance to the famous Oval is spectacular: concealed inside the walls surrounding a small oval space, six doors lead to the bedrooms. Above, the enclosure is open to the sky, creating a real architectural work of art. From the rooms, the sea view is superb and the traditional hi-tech Japanese toilets will delight fans of technological gadgetry.
Chichu: the most beautiful museum in the world?
In 2002, a few minutes walk from Benesse House, Tadao Ando built a
dream museum. An exceptional piece of architecture to house eight
artworks, no more, no less: four sublime water-lily canvases by Monet,
three works by James Turrell and an astonishing piece by Walter de
Maria, Time/Timeless/No Time. The presentation of the Monet paintings
is impressive, in a totally white room in which the floor is covered
with thousands of mosaic fragments. We wont say anymore about Turrell’s
exceptional Open Field so as not to spoil the surprise. Twice a week,
on Friday and Saturday evenings, don’t miss the Open Sky performance,
one of the three other works by the American artist.
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Map & Activities
The island of Naoshima, 5 minutes by car, is also a venue for experimental modern art that would be a pity to miss: a dozen works are scattered around the main village of the island. While you’re there, don’t miss the town of Kurashiki (about 40 minutes from the embarkation point for Naoshima), where we strongly recommend staying at the Ryokan Kurashiki. This is one of the most beautiful traditional hostels in Japan and a night spent there is a real traveller’s experience in its own right.
From Europe to Naoshima without taking the plane
If you’re coming from Europe and have some time to spare, an unforgettable means of getting to Naoshima Island is to take the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Moscow. Choose the more spectacular route through Mongolia and, once you’ve arrived in Beijing, have yourself a massage and spend the night in a good traditional hotel, such as the Red Capital Residence. The next day, take the night train to Shanghai, from where a boat leaves for Osaka, which is only 4 hours from Naoshima. Altogether you’ll have travelled from Moscow to Naoshima without stepping on a plane, in less than a fortnight – and what a memorable experience…
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Nearest Airport: NA
Airport Distance: NA
Benesse House,
Gotanji, Naoshima-cho,
Kagawa,
761-3110,
Japan.
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