18.36.54

Connecticut, USA

Description

This gleaming, chocolate-colored structure was designed as one folded plan, and takes its name from the number of the planes (18), points (36), and lines (54) that the spiraling ribbon makes as it defines the living space of this 2,000 square foot dwelling. Challenging both traditional and modern notions of “the house in the landscape,” this bold design does not sacrifice itself to its natural setting, but selectively incorporates the elements therein for the enhancement of both house and its Connecticut environs.

Studio Libeskind was approached by a client that wanted a mixture of the avant-garde and the cozy. The Studio responded with a tour-de-force clad in mirror-finish, bronzed stainless steel.  The cladding was specified to accentuate luster and exaggerate the changes of light and season. The interior is solid stained white oak.

Within the scrolling of the ribbon, enclosure is achieved via large glass planes that at junctures virtually disappear.  There are porches on every side and from the interior, unimpeded picturesque views of hay meadows and distant foothills. The interior finishes, cabinetry, and built-in furniture are custom handcrafted from locally harvested oak planks.  These elements, along with subtle elevation changes in the concrete floor distinguish the kitchen, living, dining, and sleeping areas without separating them.  Circulation throughout the home is seamless and free-flowing, a theme which carries through in the nearly-nonexistent distinction between inside and outside.

The project was completed in 2010