Magical Swimming Pool with Zero Buoyancy — Run and Jump Without Sinking!

 
▲ Can you really run and jump in water with no buoyancy?

Reported and photographed by You Tzu-ju / Kanazawa

Can you really run and jump in water with zero buoyancy? Hidden within the open-air atrium of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in central Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, it’s said that the pool resists all buoyancy, letting every visitor easily enter and enjoy the refreshing embrace of the water. You can even lie back on the bottom and gaze up at the blue sky through the crystal-clear water above — no worries about choking or swallowing water.

 
▲ The entrance to the pool — where you can’t even feel the water flowing?


▲ The upper and lower sections of the pool are separated by reinforced glass, creating the visual illusion of a single, whole pool.

This “ceiling pool” is one of the most popular attractions in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. Upon closer inspection, aside from a thin layer of water on the surface, the blue interior of the pool seen from above is completely dry. The water, separated by reinforced glass panels, only flows on the upper side. By walking through an underground passage, you can enter the pool and enjoy the thrilling feeling of running and jumping freely across the azure bottom.


▲ An aerial view of the museum, which resembles the shape of an egg.


▲ The ceiling pool is located in the central open-air area of the museum.


▲ % The glass panels reach down, and when you look through them, sunlight floods the interior, giving it a serene glow. “This place is amazing.”



▲ In winter, when there's no snow, the trees and grass in Kanazawa have turned yellow.

Aside from the “ceiling pool,” the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by renowned architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA, features a uniquely “egg-shaped” structure. Viewed from above, the museum is divided into two distinct parts — the eggshell and the yolk. The outer layer consists of transparent floor-to-ceiling glass windows, allowing sunlight to flood the interior from all directions during the day, earning it the nickname “Temple of Light.”

The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, which has a primarily horizontal layout, isn’t very tall. It houses a library, classrooms, and a children’s space. The exhibition areas are scattered throughout the circular space, featuring mostly contemporary works of multimedia, visual art, and installation art. Many of these pieces, much like the “ceiling pool,” allow visitors to step inside the exhibit area for a one-of-a-kind interactive experience.

[21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa]
Address: 2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Phone: +81 76-220-2800