Like a M. C. Escher painting, this intricate building was difficult to grasp spatially from its drawings.

Yet as the building began to take shape, the layered elevations—distinctive to an artificial landscape—began to reveal their allure.

Planting further accentuated the three-dimensionality, and the space turned out to be far more expansive than originally imagined.

Such experiences are not uncommon when creating a garden.

Greenery is often thought to make a space feel smaller, but in reality the presence of trees creates distance and depth, making the space feel more expansive.

This is one of the charms of Niwa.