Designed with extreme privacy and insane, panoramic views holding equal importance, the House in Nara-Zaka in (yep!) Naka, Japan, looks like a combination of a windowless fortress and a uncreased piece of paper from the street view, but opens up on the backside to reveal an exhibitionist's dream abode. Crafted by Japanese architect Yoshiaki Yamashita, an entire three sides of the two-story dwelling is encased in glass walls, providing a panoramic look at the city below, and plenty of natural light. Further blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor space is a wraparound terrace space, which leads up to what might be the finest little sunken rooftop terrace on the planet.
The entire interior space enjoys an open floorplan, which means every room on the first floor gets access to the gloriously kooky cantilevered kitchen, where concrete countertops hang suspended over leather couches (in the kitchen? Sure!) and abut sexy glass room dividers. Check it out, this way.
· Yoshiaki Yamashita hides house in Nara-Zaka behind window-less façade. [Design Boom]
· The Bridges of Hiroshima Prefecture [Meridian]