Ryue Nishizawa’s vertical garden house in Tokyo

architectural model for Ryue Nishizawa’s House & Garden

When this architectural model surfaced back in 2006, as beautiful as it was, it was hard to visualize what kind of home would actually take root in Tokyo. And after several years of silence it appeared the model was just another overly-ambitious architectural venture that got shelved away. Well, finally images of iconic architect Ryue Nishizawa’s House & Garden have appeared. And I’m happy to report – it’s real.

Photos by Iwan Bann | click to enlarge

With all its green and glory, the 4-story structure lacks many things that most people require in a home. For one thing, the glaring omission of a façade, which is likely to cause onlookers to mistake it for a vertical garden rather than a private residence. There are no interior walls either. The architect instead opted for floor-to-ceiling windows, curtains and planters to serve is elusive boundaries between spaces.

On one of the floors there is even a layer of thin soil that replaces actual flooring, further blurring the transition between inside and out.

Ryue Nishizawa is one half of the Pritzker-winning architectural duo SANAA. While Nishizawa was working on his solo project Garden & Home, his partner Kazuyo Sejima was working on her own solo project: Shibaura House.