Japanese architect Masayoshi Takahashi of High Land Design has completed a house in Tokyo with a squared spiral staircase at its centre.
Constructed from concrete beside a main road, the three-storey House in Aoto has a black-painted facade that screens a terrace on the rooftop.
Rectangular windows pierce the exterior in a seemingly random arrangement to let light filter into workrooms on the ground floor, living rooms on the first floor and three bedrooms on the top floor.
Softwood boards cover the floors of each room as well as the risers and treads of the faceted staircase, while walls and ceilings are painted white throughout.
Other Japanese houses with focal staircases include one behind slanted walls and peepholes, plus another that spirals around a wall.
Photography is by Toshiyuki Yano.
Here's some more text from Masayoshi Takahashi:
This house is located in a heavily trafficked road on the north side.
We thought that is important to be connected the scene of life continuously while moved up and down about this project.
We placed each space like spiral around the stairs. So that it is possible to move around each space without feeling the difficulty moving up and down.
The first floor is garage and work spaces, the second floor is a living and dining space on sunny south side, the third floor is a private room and master bedroom.
And we have placed closed spaces (such as toilet ,storage, sanitary) on the north side. So we were able to get a quiet and sunny living environment.
Location: Katsushika Tokyo
Architects: Masayoshi Takahashi/High Land Design
Structural engineers: A.S.Associates
Structure: Reinforced concrete
Frame: 3stories+Roof Teracce
Site area: 78.81m2
Built area: 50.21m2
Total floor area: 144.50m2
Completion date:2011.12
Great stair! Beautiful house.
Again, having heard about people who did in their 30s after falling down the stair, I have to play the spoil spot: The architectural challenge is to integrate handrails rather than leaving them off. 150mm wall is NOT something you can spontaneously latch onto when you lose your balance. Building Regs only had to be invented because too many ignored basic principles.
Otherwise, yes, the light wood against the white walls is indeed very nice (YAWN!).
Not very generous!
Without furnishings it's just a sculptural play thing and a very nice one to. Let's see some photos a year later in all these lovely Japanese houses.
The staircase and the terrace looks awesome!. Not much for the floor though, would have chosen another type of wood.
Looks great, but within weeks there'll be grubby finger marks appearing all up the handrails; or rather where the handrails should be.
A square spiral staircase is basically just a staircase,
Somewhere a couple of years ago I saw in a magazine a square spiral staircase that was ready made.
What is wrong with having banisters ?
I dislike all the houses that are made only for the magazines or like sculptures. This house in the future, probably, will be like the outside… black. The house are for living ther, not for visiting.
And again … complains about not furnished houses in japan. Did u guys ever be in japan? houses just do look like that, even when ppl lived in there. Thats the japanese way or something, but there really minimalist even in their way of living.