Hiroshima’s Optical Glass House Hides a Secret Garden Behind its Glazed Façade

The Optical Glass House in Japan takes its name from its unique translucent façade, which shields the home’s tranquil courtyard from the surrounding urban environment. Designed by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Co. Ltd., this single-family home in downtown Hiroshima features a gorgeous secluded patio with a garden and pool, all hidden behind the bricked-glass wall. The translucent wall filters sunlight and provides some privacy, while protecting the house from the noisy street.

 

                  

The Optical Glass House sits among tall buildings in downtown Hiroshima. Its glazed façade was hand-made made from 6,000 high-transparency glass blocks that are from borosilicate, a raw material commonly used for optical glass. The sunlight coming from the east refracts through the glass façade and through a super lightweight metal curtain and sliding doors.

Visible from all rooms, the garden offers inhabitants a serene space that is protected from the cars’ noise and pollution. The interiors are open, airy and uncluttered, with small objects hidden behind a floor-to-ceiling wooden cupboard that functions as a dividing wall.

Source / Fuente: inhabitat.com

Author / Autor:   Ana Lisa Alperovich

 Date / Fecha: 15/05/13

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