An old copper mine on a tiny island in Japan sat abandoned for 80 years until Architect Hiroshi Sambuichi and conceptual artist Yukinori Yanagi were offered the chance to re-imagine the degraded complex as a commentary on the budding of an industrial nation. Spotted on Spoon & Tamago, the Inujima Art Project is also a unique, sustainable nod to a future where buildings takes care of themselves and conspicuous consumption is leerily regarded. The building addition itself is a brilliant example of adaptive design that requires electricity only to keep the emergency lights on; all other lighting, cooling, and heating is done -- incredibly-- with only passive measures.

Set on its own .21 square mile island, the Museum allows only 50 visitors a day. From afar they can see the six enormous brick smoke stacks in various stages of decay. Only when they arrive can they see the low-slung glass and white stone building. The entire complex is a large passive heating and cooling machine that use the 98 foot tall smoke stack adjacent to gallery to suck air out of the complex. The galleries themselves provide all the heating and cooling.