Ryue Nishizawa designs 4m orange cone for Setouchi Art festival
The 4-meter-tall structure, part of the Setouchi Art and Industry 2026 festival, is situated at a recycling complex on Shikoku island.
Public Observation Deck at Industrial Site
Japanese architect Ryue Nishizawa, co-founder of SANAA, has completed a public observation deck within a recycling complex on Shikoku island, Japan. Named Observatory, the structure is a prominent orange cone positioned at the Oono Associates recycling facility in Toon, Ehime prefecture.
Its design aims to make the industrial site, specifically a large landfill basin, accessible to the public. The installation forms part of the inaugural Setouchi Art and Industry 2026, a festival showcasing art and architecture across Japan's industrial landscapes.
Conical Form and Material Finish
The Observatory features a striking conical form, measuring 33 meters in diameter and standing 4 meters high. This scale was chosen to evoke the presence of an artificial hill within the industrial setting.
Its exterior is finished in a luminous orange color, a deliberate choice by Nishizawa to create a visual contrast against the blue-green hues of the surrounding landfill lining and natural landscape. The structure's size and finish make it a distinct landmark within the vast recycling complex.
Festival Context and Curation
The observation deck is a key component of the 'Landscapes of Waste – A landscape shaped by nature, industry, and people' exhibition, which is part of the Setouchi Art and Industry 2026 festival. This exhibition was curated by Kazuyo Sejima, Nishizawa's partner at the SANAA studio, which they co-founded in 1995.
The festival itself uses various industrial sites across Japan as venues, integrating art and architecture into these working environments to engage the public with their often-closed-off spaces.
Implications for Asia's Architects and Specifiers
This project demonstrates how large-scale architectural interventions, even temporary ones, can repurpose industrial sites and engage the public. For specifiers and procurement teams in Asia, the application of a distinct, high-visibility finish on a structure of this scale highlights potential for custom material solutions in public or industrial projects.
Architects considering similar site-specific installations could explore durable, weather-resistant coatings or paneling that achieve specific aesthetic contrasts, especially when integrating structures into existing environmental or industrial backdrops. Such projects can drive demand for specialized facade materials and finishes.
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