Tower-Like Extension For An Unusual Japanese Home

By Simona Ganea | Published on Sep 2, 2016

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O House extension tower at night

O House extension street view

O House extension neighborhood

O House extension site and placement

O House extension entrance and stairs

O House extension spiraling stairs

O House extension staircase

O House extension upstairs stairs

O House extension interior space

O House extension ground floor

O House extension hallway and dining

O House extension upstairs curtain

O House extension upstairs pitched roof

O House extension bathroom

O House extension floor space seen from above

Tower-Like Extension For An Unusual Japanese Home

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O House extension floor space seen from above

There are many unusual houses all around the globe but Japan seems to take the lead when it comes to that. Here we can find an abundance of unconventional designs and interesting architectural creations. O House is one of them.

What’s we’re actually interested in is the extension to this residence. The main house is not exactly eye-catching, although it does have its share of intriguing features. The extension, on the other hand, was designed to look like a tall and narrow tower with a huge two-story window.

This was a project by Hideyuki Nakayama Architecture, a studio with a creative approach and a solution for every problem no matter how unusual or challenging. It was completed in 2009 and covers an area of only 59.71 square meters.

Of course, given the lack of space on the site, the architects chose to build vertically and to gain more floor space that way, hence the two-story tower. But the actual shape of the extension is not the only interesting part of the project. The interior is quite striking as well.

The spaces inside the tower are organized in a practical and sculptural manner. The staircase that connects the two floors is pretty interesting. It spirals around a curved wall that links the entrance to the rest of the tower.

The floating stairs maintain a feeling of spaciousness and allow the interior to look airy and bright. Of course, he glazed facade has something to do with that as well. Although there was initially no intention of bringing the outdoors in or emphasizing the views, the architects managed to do that anyway by opting for a full-height window that spans the entire height of the tower.

A really long curtain can easily cover up the window whenever privacy or shade is needed inside the house. This feature adds a really dramatic touch to the whole design of the extension. As far as the layout and organization go, the social spaces are placed on the ground floor while the private zone is upstairs.

There’s a lovely little dining area right next to the entrance and from there the whole floor plan opens up. Upstairs, the sleeping area has beautiful views of the surroundings and also feels quite cozy thanks to the pitched roof.