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