Minimalissimo

House in Ajina

architecture

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Location
Ajina, Hiroshima, Japan
Architecture
Kazunori Fujimoto Architects
Photography
Kazunori Fujimoto

One of the masters of concrete architecture, Kazunori Fujimoto, is behind the brutalist residence, House in Ajina, located in Hiroshima Prefecture of Japan. The house is built atop a steep slope, resulting in uninterrupted vistas to the Seto Inland Sea with an internal layout that accommodates the change in levels. Bedrooms are situated on the ground and second floors, with the main living spaces slotted in between them on the first floor.

The entrance to this minimalist cubic house is via an open-plan kitchen and living space, which is more than four metres above the bedroom below. In the kitchen, striped glazing in the corners of the double-height ceiling bring in natural daylight, while other large rectangular windows in the room frame views of the sea. And it is the corner striped openings that add character and distinctiveness to this house, which is testament to Kazunori's work. Needless to say this building doesn't exude warmth and comfort, but it does exude tranquility and privacy while offering a relaxing atmosphere and remarkable views of the surrounding landscape.

The design was inspired by the style of de Stijl, the Dutch art movement that practiced abstraction of forms reduced to rectangular planes, to disassemble the traditional box house into its fundamental shapes.

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