The riverside Osaka Prefectural Enokojima Art, Culture and Creative Center is tasked with managing the prefecture’s 7,900-piece trove of contemporary art, with exhibitions based on the collection held at Enoco a few times every year. Besides exhibition galleries, the building houses several well-equipped rental studios, offers consultation services and organises a programme of workshops and other events. There’s a nice café with a terrace on the basement floor, as well as an art-focussed second-hand bookstore.
With its round edges and arched hallways, the Enoco building exemplifies the distinctive brand of modernist architecture that flourished in Osaka in the pre-World War II years. Built in 1938 to house auxiliary functions of the city’s Industrial Research Institute, the structure was renovated and turned into an art centre in 2012.