“And so castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually,” sang Jimi Hendrix, in his 1967 track about life’s bitter ironies. Japanese architect Yasutaka Yoshimura is probably not too concerned about his new work “Window House” crumbling to the sea any time soon. And yet, looking at the home, I couldn’t help but be reminded of our temporary nature of existence.
Window House, constructed in 2013, is a modest – if ideally positioned – home in Kanagawa that sits on the edge of Sagami Bay. It’s tiny, even by Japanese standards, occupying a plot of land just 10 x 26 feet. The single-room home was designed for a single resident to be used as a weekend home.
And, surprisingly, the thoughtful design is mindful not only of the client but of the surrounding neighbors. “It seemed difficult to avoid blocking the view of the neighborhood behind,” explains Yoshimura on his website, so he designed 2 large windows creating a see-through wall that doesn’t block views of the sea. It stands between land and sea as a house but also as a window, a castle made of glass.
September 17, 2014 at 10:00 pm
a small house ,face to the sea,that’s enough..
September 19, 2014 at 1:45 am
Cool house but WOW!!… a comment.
Why are there never any comments on this blog????
September 25, 2014 at 2:07 pm
““And so castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually,” sang Bob Marley, in his 1967 track about life’s bitter ironies. ”
You’re referring to Jimi Hendrix’s song “Castles Made of Sand”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMGYAkUtKQw
September 25, 2014 at 2:28 pm
@jason – ugh, brain fart. Yes of course. Thanks!
October 6, 2014 at 11:19 am
nice post today, allways a pleasure to see before work.
October 8, 2014 at 2:14 am
luce è vita!, ideale per artisti..
October 8, 2014 at 8:14 pm
I like this little house. It speaks to me right now. Maybe it wouldn’t always, but at the moment, it has what I need.
October 8, 2014 at 8:17 pm
Actually, I forgot to mention that I find the electric wires disturbing.