Pillar House by Japanese architect Suzuko Yamada
Created by Japanese architect Suzuko Yamada, Pillar House is a concept that was designed with the intent of proposing a new type of housing that emphasizes the living quality of it inhabitants. It was first introduced as a miniature model submission for the ‘Arts & Life: A Housing for Living’ competition that was held in September 2011 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. The Pillar House is composed of eleven wooden columns – inspired by daikokubashira (the main pillar of traditional Japanese farmhouses minka) – and three cascading floors. The house lacks internal walls – or even handrails, for that matter. The living spaces on each level steps over next, creating a diversity of spaces between. The precariously sloping floors challenge our assumptions about the home and would demand that occupants overcome disorientation within their daily routines.
“My inspiration for Pillar House arose from the authentic Japanese houses. After the big earthquake in Tohoku in 2011, I went there and see the old houses with a big pillar in the centre of the house. It was an elastic pillar rising up from the floor of the house to its ceiling, and it was a sight that truly left an impression on me.” says Suzuko Yamada “It symbolized a traditional and familiar centrepiece in old Japanese homes, one which I could see continuing in its role to provide support for the Japanese house of tomorrow. However, instead of one central pillar, I imagined several in one house, creating a space of openness, yet providing shelter to the family living intimately among them.”
