Striking concrete and glass home has a twist

From certain angles, this home on Portugal’s São Miguel Island looks like a concrete cousin of Philip Johnson’s famous Glass House—a single glass-walled horizontal volume, a statement of modern minimalism. Designed by the Portuguese firm Arco Mais, the home has a concrete base, ceiling, and end-walls, while floor-to-ceiling glazing frames the surrounding landscape. The roof appears to be covered in plants.

The interior is simple, with just an open living room and kitchen separated from the bedroom by an enclosed bathroom space.

"The client expressed a desire of openness and harmony with nature, and very little concerns about how he would like the interior of the house, except from the wish of including memories of old travels through some objects," reads the project statement.

But while almost every architectural detail of the home reflects a raw, modernist truth-to-materials ethos, the front door looks like it’s from a different building altogether. An ornate arch of black metal decorated with curving tendrils, the door seems out of place, especially when compared to the edgy exposed kitchen island. But what do you think?

Via: World Architecture, ArchDaily