We intended to create a bold atmosphere that great ‘emptiness’ such as sky, ocean, beach and desert can bring about. In ordinary residential quarters, the architecture exists as if it comes from ‘the other world’.
This house has extraordinary power like mausoleums can have.
Two walls
A window with characteristic shape
Cantilevered volume
The strong expression of this architecture is brought by focusing attention on above three architectural elements. This simplified architecture is in pairs with huge stones in the garden, with the blue sky at dawn and sunset and with white moon. This simplicity reminds of the repose that one has forgotten.
The wall, a few openings are on it, looks longer than its actual length- 47 meter. Curved wall and incremental change of pavement level give this visual effect.
Only one opening on the facade located above the wall is in the shape of ‘Tower’. This is solitary a nostalgia to (recollection of) the real world.
Which scene can give stronger expression, pure natural landscape or combination of nature and artificial element? We want to make the natural landscape stronger by adding our work. Primitive shape of this architecture has same kind of strength that we can find in the nature – endless horizon, the moon crossing ridge of mountain.
We think most suitable material to concrete is stone. This architecture is combination of those two heavy and opaque materials.
The garden is in combination of stone and wall in primitive manner. Two square shaped openings on the wall in the garden bring about unreal scene. There are two of long and high walls in height of 5 meter, and a heap of huge stones.
The site is on the rock ground. Upon excavation, tons of huge rocks, in 2 to 6 meter diameter, appeared from the ground. We piled up them in heaps in the rock garden.
The house located at the end of the wall. Entry is given between two walls. Floor plate for living space is located on the wall.
At the entry to the house, there a pond is locates. Reflected light by the water dances on the white wall. Like a body of ship, the white wall changes its brightness according to sunlight.
The scene of emptiness clipped out by sky, rocks, walls and starry sky. We are carried away by such simplicity.
