Iconic houses of contemporary architecture

The new architecture of the 20th century brought with it great architectural projects that today stand as icons and are also examples of the mastery of some of the most renowned architects and studios of the time. Examples include Mies van Der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Cascade House and Le Corbusier’s Ville Savoye. In the same way that we find these remarkable projects in the last century, we can also find residential architecture built in the 21st century that we can also consider to be (or will be) architectural icons.

Another example is Sou Fujimoto’s Na House. It is located in a residential district of Tokyo and is one of the Japanese architect’s most radical and experimental works. The NA House is distinguished by its completely transparent and open structure, built almost entirely of glass and steel. The home resembles a modern tree house, consisting of multiple platforms at different heights, connected by stairs and steps. The interior is a labyrinth of interconnected levels and spaces that defy traditional housing conventions. There are no solid walls or clearly defined rooms; instead, spaces flow from one platform to another, offering changing views and perspectives. This design encourages a flexible and dynamic lifestyle, where each area can be used for multiple purposes. The extreme transparency of the NA House creates a constant interaction with the urban environment. Residents are in a state of permanent visual connection with the outside, which may seem like a lack of privacy, but also provides a unique experience of city living. Fujimoto has created a space where everyday life intertwines with the rhythm of the city, offering a new way of inhabiting urban space.

Another example is Sou Fujimoto’s Na House. It is located in a residential district of Tokyo and is one of the Japanese architect’s most radical and experimental works. The NA House is distinguished by its completely transparent and open structure, built almost entirely of glass and steel. The home resembles a modern tree house, consisting of multiple platforms at different heights, connected by stairs and steps. The interior is a labyrinth of interconnected levels and spaces that defy traditional housing conventions. There are no solid walls or clearly defined rooms; instead, spaces flow from one platform to another, offering changing views and perspectives. This design encourages a flexible and dynamic lifestyle, where each area can be used for multiple purposes. The extreme transparency of the NA House creates a constant interaction with the urban environment. Residents are in a state of permanent visual connection with the outside, which may seem like a lack of privacy, but also provides a unique experience of city living. Fujimoto has created a space where everyday life intertwines with the rhythm of the city, offering a new way of inhabiting urban space.

Another example is a recent project by Aires Mateus, the house in Barreiro. Two adjoining warehouses in the Setúbal district were used for its construction, which are integrated in such a way that they envelop the house as an integral part of the project. These walls bear the mark of time and the industrial past of the area, contrasting with the bright, white interior of the house. An intermediate perimeter space softens the transition between the history that the walls represent and the new internal structure. At the top, the roof curves to form a pool, giving the illusion that the slab has sunk under the weight of the water. This bold gesture is visible from the inside, where the concave bottom of the pool becomes the ceiling of the hall. This image evokes a sense of structural collapse in dialogue with the old walls, creating a spatial tension charged with symbolism and subtlety. In addition, the ceiling formwork is made of wooden ribs and slats, reminiscent of naval structures. The rest of the rooms are distributed on either side of this central space, which includes two flights of sculptural stairs and a small independent volume in the form of a traditional house.

A fifth and final example is the Casa de Piedra by Tuñón y Albornoz. Located in Sierrilla, Cáceres, the house stands as a square prism with sixteen-metre sides, each with three windows. The walls are built from local quartzite stone, while the windows are framed with Extremaduran granite stone in warm tones.

The volume is defined by its edges and houses nine cubic rooms measuring 4.20 metres on each side, intended for a variety of domestic uses, from living rooms to bedrooms and kitchens, as well as wardrobes and bathrooms. Each room consists of two parts: a lower level clad in oak boards, which houses the installations, and an upper level made of white concrete, completely free of mechanisms. All rooms have square oak windows that open to the outside.