058 Villa By Christ & Gantenbein

A seemingly simple house, the 058 villa offers a surprisingly rich spatial system with unexpected relations of the interior and the exterior. Located in a Chinese city of Ordos, the residence was designed by architects from the Basel-based architecture studio Christ & Gantenbein. Reminiscent of a private labirynth, the project deals with the need for privacy within a dense urban settlement. Hence, nothing is revealed from the outside – the fragmented geometry of the volume and the mirror cladding create a distance, making the house present and absent at the same time. The living spaces are organized around an enclosed courtyard, which, similarly to the exterior, is cladded with mirroring surfaces that give it an infinite appearance. A single tree planted in the centre of the courtyard is multiplied into a forest, making the private space completely different from the urban public areas around the house and creating an almost psychedelic experience. However, in contrast to the crystal-like sharp exterior, the interior reflects a down-to-earth-architecture, with white plaster, terrazzo and concrete as the only materials being used.

All images © Christ & Gantenbein