ARCHIVE

Article from issue 2/2000 »Stairs«

House in Imabari, Japan

documentation p. 194 - 197
Architect Toru Muramaki |

Drafts
Elevation/Section 1:20
Section through landing 1:10
Site plan 1:500, Plans/Sections 1:250, Section 1:50

The vertical division of the house, with the living areas on the upper floors above a ground floor shop and store, is reflected in the form of construction. The steel structure of the dwelling is set on top of a concrete plinth storey; and the main staircase changes from concrete to a suspended steel construction enclosed within a glass skin. The living space is in the form of a two-storey glazed atrium. The various private rooms laid out about it can be spatially and functionally linked to the hall by sliding aside large translucent doors. A transparent lift tower connects the entrance level with the dwelling. The filigree spiral staircase in the atrium, in contrast, links only the two living levels. Its slender dimensions lend it an almost dematerialized appearance.