Multiplicities - Villa 24, Ordos 100

How's this for one crazy house - situated, I'm sure, among 99 other crazy houses. Villa 24 is a part of the Ordos 100 project, a development of villas in Ordos, Inner Mongolia - an autonomous region of northeastern China. Ordos 100 includes 100 villas designed by 100 architects from 27 countries, all chosen by starchitects Herzog and de Meuron. The master plan was designed by FAKE Design, AKA Ai Wei Wei. Each architect is responsible for a 1000 sq. meter villa.

This particular villa was designed by Multiplicities, a New York City based design firm. The building is oval-shaped in plan, with curved exterior walls made from black brick. The ovular form, called the Black Skin by Multiplicities, is bisected by an x-shaped central void (coined the White Lung) that is made from white quartz. All of the interior spaces are organized around this x-shaped void. I'm jealous of whomever gets to live in this development...



In Multiplicities' words:

white lung + black skin = ( ) + X = (X)

(X)
The “( )” is imploded by the “X” that expands and contracts from within, creating a dramatic void and multiple terraces at different levels from which to view the surrounding river landscape.

The “( )” is made of black brick while the “X” is made of white quartz white plaster. Both elements change their density by allowing different types of screen to filter the sun, water, light and air inside the inhabitable spaces.

The white lung takes and bounces light and air inside the house to keep the black skin healthy. The black skin absorbs heat and gives protection and warmth to the lung as well as varied activities, providing different programmatic thicknesses creating buffer zones wherever it is necessary.

Entering the villa through one of the “X’s” funnels, residents and visitors encounter the void that works as an atrium throughout the house. The first patio is the main access to the small living room that overlooks both voids. The second patio is directly linked to the pool and the sauna which at times can overflow inundating the patio in a seasonal basis. We think that this will perform as a huge humidifier during dry seasons. The voids “infect” the house with terraces on all levels providing different gardens and atmospheres making possible a vast range of living conditions.

Via Dezeen.