Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

Silver Screen House

This is a project by Akasaka Shinichiro Atelier and it is located at Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Project's program: Single family house. There are twelve images for Silver Screen House.

: © Koji Sakai

Project details

Project name: Silver Screen House
Location: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Program: Single family house
Area: Site Area: 135 m2 • Building Area: 80 m2 • Gross Floor Area: 118 m2
Year: Design: 2009 • Construction: 2010
Project by: Akasaka Shinichiro Atelier

Project images

Designer's statement

The house faces Railway main line, which runs through the urban area in the city of Sapporo. Since Sapporo was developed after the model of Kyoto, the city has the grid streets system for the most urban part of the city. Although, this house was built in the area where the angles are significantly different from the grid-system area extending from the city central. Therefore, some intersections would have unusual angles in this area compare to Sapporo, where railroads and streets linking the suburbs to the city center connecting with the part of this city districts.

This house has taken those unusual angles into its plan. When you only look at the site, you would see the common condition of "corner lot", with a rectangular land bordering two roads. So, we prepared a through-lane for the site and also an approach to the house, parallel to the railroad running in front of the land. The house stands along its approach, leaving triangular small and large gardens in front and back of the house. By facing the railroad, considering the noise from the intersection with heavy traffic and also the sight from outside, the gardens are surrounded by high walls integrated with the house.

At first glance, it has a closed appearance. However, the corrugated silver curtain capturing the color of the sky and colorful trees planted in the garden, amplifies and delivers various types of lights into the rooms from two gardens outside. The triangular gardens contribute to the feel the different depth of outside interacting with the movement of family, and create a diverse complex space along with the lights inside a simple room. Naturally, this silver wall gives the same effect externally. The view from the commuter train can be enjoyable seeing the "silver screen" everyday, which changes its expression hourly and seasonally, combined with the speed of the train.