Residential ArchitectureHousesPrism House by Smiljan Radić

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

Project: Casa Prisma
Architect: Smiljan Radić
Location: Conguillio, Chile
Area: 184 square metres
Completed 2019
Photo Credits: Cristobal Palma

The sloping terrain runs freely underneath the terrace from where one can see the dead river of lava, a ghostly reminder of the last eruption of the Llaima Volcano. Kazuo Shinohara’s 1974 Prism House stands on a similar platform (or what is left of it), as does the Room built in Chiloe in 1997 (or what is left of it).

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

I have tried to replicate the air of the Prism House on the basis of its geometric structure. The famous side wall, an isosceles right triangle laid out on the floor, and its exquisite interior diagonal wooden post which, like many other supports in this Japanese architect’s houses, arranges the space with an interruption in a position that seems out of place, are signs of its ‘uncomfortable geometry’. The exclusion of photographs of the longitudinal façade and the bedrooms from publications leads me to believe that for Shinohara, the 45° section of the volume and the post were the essence of the Prism House. I copied the 7.20 m structural section of the original house, reducing its length from 10.80 m to 7.20 m.

dining area, Smiljan Radić

The Prism House facing the Llaima Volcano that we are building is thus effectively a section of a cube, approximating Shinohara’s ideal presumably expressed in his photographs, but moving away from the reality of the Prism House in Japan, as it is simply the construction of a photographed portion of the original.

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

I replicated the last extension to the Room, a galvanised steel structure that supports a red tent in the Chiloe forest. We applied the cross-section of a 7.20 m isosceles triangle to appropriately accompany the size of its neighbour. We replicated its informal air and the idea of creating just one large dormitory space.”

living space, Smiljan Radić

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

bedroom, Smiljan Radić

bedroom, Smiljan Radić

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

Prism House by Smiljan Radić

Modern Addition to an Old Edwardian House by Mcmahon and Nerlich

The proposed modern addition is designed through a contextual approach that aims to make the most of natural light and create optimal interior comfort through carefully considered organization, while remaining recessive from the street.

Toral Clinic – Health Interior Design Project by Vitale

Toral Clinic, located on Diagonal Avenue in Barcelona, in a restored building from the early 20th century, is a recently created aesthetic and anti-aging medicine center whose objective is to enhance people's beauty in a natural and harmonious way.

Urban Classy Home Designed by HNK in Plenty of White and Vivid Colors

The 150 sqm apartment covers the entire last floor of a newly built block of flats; it has a spacious terrace (around 60 sqm) and a smart partitioning, so we didn’t need to make radical changes in this aspect.

La Pedevilla – Modern Refuge in the Dolomites / Pedevilla Architects

La Pedevilla is a modern refuge, high up in the Dolomites, which had been designed with a lot of sensitivity to its surround. The...

White Dates House, Phoenix / The Ranch Mine

The house is named “White Dates House,” a play on White Gates inspired by the Date palm trees found on the site, including one that is used to mark the entry of the home.

Recommended Stories