Designed by Daniel Libeskind
Essay by Isabella Cosentino
I believe that everyone has that one structure or space that inspired them to be an architect. Growing up, home was the space where I spent most of my time. My family had moved around alot when I was young, an experience that made me realize the impact and importance and the luxury of having a home that one can design as a means of self expression. Since my family moved frequently, for me it wasn’t necessarily the structure itself that created a sense of home, but the memories, experiences, and comfort that the house held.
The project that made me want to be an architect was the house, 18.36.54, designed by Daniel Libeskind. I came across it looking through an issue of W Magazine when I was 12. Until then, I had never really realized the impact of architectural design. This house was not just a house, it was a piece of art, an experience, and a home. It made me think of a house in such a different light. This piece of architecture tapped into my emotions with its use of materials, angles, and light. I had not realized until then that a building could evoke an emotional response in me. This made me more aware and interested in architecture that had this type of effect including the why and how it was achieved.
The exterior of the building is very striking at first glance. The 2,000 square foot home built on an open field in Connecticut with high grass surrounding it, sharply contrasts its surroundings. It’s secluded with wonderful views of trees in the distant hills standing almost monolithic. The building uses sharp angles and slanted planes to create a plan that folds into itself to create intimate spaces between the tall exterior walls. These large planes fold together to create an emotional grand entrance to the home. The brown color of the structure diverges from the lush fields and trees, but is reminiscent of broken tree bark laid out in the field making it blend in its environment. The house uses mirror finished bronzed stainless steel, paneled to create harmony between the exterior and interior. The mirrored finish on the structure reflects the beautiful, serene landscape and sky on to the home making it feel more cohesive with the site.
The “avant garde” style of the building creates a seamless harmony of interior and exterior flow of space using circulation, material, and angles. Some of the exterior mirror finish planes intertwine into the interior spaces and are distinct from the interior based on the difference of the material. The interior space is designed with varying height concrete floors that help distinguish the spaces throughout the home's open floor plan, instead of using traditional walls to divide the space. The interior was designed using solid stained white oak to create a synonymous relationship between the interior and exterior with the color and paneling. The interior also mimics the dramatic angles and slanted planes that the exterior uses as well making the structure cohesive in its intent, while also having tall floor to ceiling windows allowing you to embrace the views of Connecticut's hills and the verdant landscape.
The one-story home interior uses the stained white oak panels for the custom made furnishings for the space. The designer uses unconventional angles to create a beautiful take on traditional home furnishings and flow throughout the home. The home has an oversized motif and uses scale to create an interesting circulation and layout. The oversized bookshelf, sectional couch, and bed are all custom made all from the same wood. This gives warmth to the space and evokes intimacy in the home. The varying heights of the angular furnishings and high slanted ceilings add a dynamic layer to the structure.
The custom shower design for the home was always an aspect that stood out to me in the space. The shower is built into the architecture using the slanted angles to create a private space nestled between the thick wood walls. The varying concrete floor heights, guide you to step down and up into the high ceiling shower, where the light and water can pour on to you. The floor heights intentionally allow the water to flow downwards and drain so there is no excess water in the main showering area.
The contrast between the warmth of the stained oak wood and the light colored concrete flooring give the space depth. The darkness of the wood and the shadows from the interior angles invoke emotion and intimacy throughout the home. The angles of the ceilings give shadow and depth to the space, while the large scale windows let in just enough light into the entire home. The angles of furnishings and walls in the interior are accentuated by thin light panels along the base of the furnishings and structures adding more depth to the home. The space uses minimal ceiling lights throughout the house invoking more intimacy and emotion as the day ends and the natural light fades away. Light is a very important aspect to this home, and also lack of light. In my opinion, the home comes alive at night as the shadows become more dramatic and angles become more distorted.
The dwelling designed by Daniel Libeskind is more than a home to me. This structure is, as I said before, a piece of dynamic, livable, and emotional art. The design made me rethink what a home is structurally and emotionally. I think that the relationship between the exterior and interior space is a very important part of this project in the sense that the two do not have to be separate, but instead harmonious. As a designer, you can see the emotion and work that was put into the home, and the feelings that the architect evokes and wants the person living in the home to feel. I believe that the communication of design to the viewer is very important and sometimes overlooked. Emotion is very hard to translate into design, but when done with such innovation, it leaves a lasting impression.