In Shizuoka Prefecture, in the shadow of Mount Fuji, high on a hill overlooking Sagami Bay in Atami City, is a Japanese villa of special significance. Special advanced arrangements were made on my behalf to have a private showing of this historic property by Atami City officials. Their kindness and cooperative efforts are very much appreciated.
The villa is a below ground annex designed in 1936 by renowned German architect, Bruno Taut. Taut was a lover of Japanese culture and nature. The Kyu Hyuga Bettei is his overly successful attempt to find harmony with his work and nature. Seen from the ground level, there is only a lawn with a tall retaining wall on a very steep hillside. It is below this lawn that Taut designed and built his annex in which he sought to express something Japanese and something Western as well. The annex is composed of three main rooms, the Beethoven room (guest room), the Mozart Room (Western style), and the Bach Room (Japanese style). The villa remains as it was originally built, with fastidious care being taken to preserve all original furnishings and building materials.
With the use of additional lighting strongly frowned upon, I chose to capture the rooms in their natural light – the challenge being very strong natural light streaming in on one side and a very dark interior on the other side. A few photos from the day are below.
