For Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins, architecture has the ability to rewire our brains, allow us to experience the world in new ways and, ultimately, give us the key to immortality. It’s a bold claim, but one that gave rise to the Site of Reversible Destiny, an experimental art project that was over 30 years in the making, now found within the verdant landscapes of Gifu Prefecture.

Arakawa and Gins’ goal was to construct new living environments that allowed humans to overcome death. By challenging traditional notions about how space should be organized, the duo deliberately incorporated layouts in their designs that constantly stimulated the physical and mental self.