Tokyo-based design firm Nendo built a massive 78-unit birdhouse (with a 79th, human-sized viewing area in the back) to shelter wildlife in a nature preserve in Nagano prefecture:

Photographs by Masaya Yoshimura / Daici Ano

Above: Bird-Apartment, located at Ando Momofuku Center, is perched high in the trees.

Above: Each of the 78 pigeonholes is an entryway to a separate nest space.

Above: (Human) visitors climb a ladder to reach the viewing area.

Above: The 78 peepholes in the viewing area offer a glimpse of what's happening in each nest.

Above: The birdhouse is named in honor of the Taiwan-born entrepreneur and ramen magnate who introduced Nissin Top Ramen to the world; Momofuku Ando in 2007 at age 96, after crediting his longevity to instant noodles.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on September 17, 2012.