DOMUS MAGAZINE
|APRIL 2010

PROPYLAEUM

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT WROTE THAT A TYPICAL AMERICAN HOUSE OF 100 SQM REQUIRES A 5000 SQM PIECE OF LAND TO BUILD ON. THIS PROJECT IS WAY OVER THIS LIMIT, AS IVAN HAD TO FIT TWO HOUSES ONTO THAT SAME AREA.

The following text will describe the house that was finished first. As the architect was working out the positioning of the building and how to fit it into the surrounding forestland, he was limited by two main factors – the size of the site and the area of the building that the client had requested (around 1300 sqm). Ivan chose to use dense cladding materials – dark coloured wood and dark clinker brick. “Had I chosen light cladding, the house would have seemed too large and out of place, but this way the building blends into the surrounding forest”. At the heart of the building is a large reflective and transparent volume – the propylaeum, and it makes the building blend into the environment even more.

This void at the centre is one of the primary distinguishing design features of this project. Shalmin has a very unique way of dealing with light. His works always dazzle with their spring-like illumination. The natural light that inhabits his buildings almost has a life of its own, as it depends on so many different external factors. Ivan always takes great care to consider natural light and this consideration is always used as a key design element in his work. It adds a new layer of complexity and content to the environments that he creates.

This project is the result of a collection of four years' worth of ideas and concepts. For example, the swimming pool saw the materialisation of Ivan's idea called 'solid water', which he initially designed for a different house, situated in Spain. The concept is simple – to raise the water's surface by 20cm above the ground, with the aid of a simple glass edge, in order to enable the swimmers to get a better view of their surroundings, and to see further than just the objects right next to the pool.

'One day, I noticed the reflections that appear in the water when the swimming pool is clad in dark tiles. The water was almost a black graphite colour and I loved the effect that this had on the reflections, almost like in a deep lake. This is why I clad the swimming pool with black tiles, to create the illusion that you are swimming amongst the stars and the sky, or among the trees… In terms of execution, it's a really simple detail. The overflow channel is right next to the glass edge of the pool, it has a simple grille over it. In this design this grille is covered with pebbles to conceal it, and that’s it.’

Another key distinguishing feature is the open staircase in the bright living room. Initially, it wasn’t supposed to have a handrail at all, but the client rejected this idea due to fears over safety. Now, there’s a clear acrylic handrail, but it doesn’t attract much attention and appears to be almost invisible. The staircase itself is also a novelty. Here, we see a manifestation of the architect’s idea of self-supporting steps. A set of identical elements were manufactured in factory conditions and then assembled together on site. The fixtures and joining elements make the stairs self-supporting and therefore structural.These metal steps consist of polished, stainless steel frames, with Planibel Grey glass on top. Each step, due to its transparency, lifts the spectator up and evokes a sense of weightlessness. The stair changes the viewers’ perception of their surroundings. With each new step, they see new highlights mirroring off glossy surfaces. These highlights fuel and accentuate the play between all the existing reflections within the space.

This project also features a very unusual solution to the terraces. First of all, the wooden volume of the house appears to be floating, because it’s lifted above the ground by 120cm. Made from the highest quality hardwood, the terraces are not linked to the house structurally, with a gap of around 3-4cm between the edge of the terrace and the wall of the house. This prevents the possibility of any structural issues in future. The terraces are accessible from the swimming pool and from the living room. However, there is no access from the study and this gave the opportunity to use the maximum dimensions of sheet glass available (4.5 x 6m), for the windows in this space. The ceiling is situated level with the top of the window frame and at certain angles, this creates the visual illusion of an ‘inverted space’.

The aluminium window profiles are also custom, designed specifically for this house. They project outwards from the surface of the façade by 120mm. Ivan designed their aesthetic to resemble picture frames, with each frame containing it’s own image, that changes depending on the season, the state of the surrounding environment, the sunlight and so on.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to do everything exactly the way the architect had intended. There are several client’s wishes that did not fully align with the design - some colours/surfaces and a piece of furniture. The bed in the master bedroom is too dressy and has nothing to do with laconism (the architect’s guiding principles). However, the majority of the design details were executed exactly the way that the architect envisaged; these include the dining room table and all the lighting fixtures. This prototype of the ideal ‘house of light’, the architect had found in great antiquity.

TEXT: NADEJDA PLOTNIKOVA
PHOTOGRAPHY: IVAN SHALMIN

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