supertacular » Dancing Living House by Junichi Sampei

photograph by kouichi torimura

What happens when a young married couple asks for a house with a dance studio? A house that would serve as a living and dining room as well.Â A.L.X. came up with a an answer to this query by designingÂ Dancing Living House. The place is situated on a hill in Yokohama, Japan and the most important element of the project was to ensure the soundproofing of the structure. The necessity to design the entire building as one single â€œdeviceâ€ came up as an answer to the ownersâ€™ request to combine both their living needs and their hobby, dancing.

Divided in three several levels the Dancing Living House makes quite an impression with its high white walls and the lack of windows. However it is surprising the amount of light that enters thanks to window in the top of the building which permits the natural light to enter during daytime but also prevent outsiders from looking in. Inside the house all living room walls are covered with mirrors from end to end; this way not only the light is spread around but also the living space looks considerably larger. The project comes with a parking lot leaving an open space in the ground floor. The special design of the structure and the uneven land on which it is built makes everybody think the unthinkable: This House can really dance!