Japanese architectural practice EASTERN design office has recently completed the Keyhole House. The facade of this house has the shape of a keyhole. A key to open "my house", which is standing along a narrow street of a crowded town, is designed as a key itself on the façade of this house. A house can be called a key, which will open up your life happily. Such a small key, this house is a key!
The site is in Kyoto, Japan. It is a small house for four people and two cats. It has only 100 square meters of floor space. It is standing alone in the corner of a small parking lot like a table left behind at the seaside.
The façade is marked by a window shaped like a key.
Mortar with sumi ink is applied to the exterior wall.
Simple color coding. Red and purple are used as an accent.
The triangle roof.
Random arrangement of small windows.
The edge to make the shape of this house clearer.
There is a thin steel eave which is fixed to the façade of this house as if it is floating, and a key-shaped slit like a "picture", crossing over the eave. A red wine-colored door. These are laid out like a beautiful pattern designed on a jewel box.
You sometimes will see a cat lying by the window at this house. You wonder what she is watching. Do you still have a naïve heart with a key to open this house?
+ Project credits / data
Project: Keyhole House
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Architect: EASTERN design office
Site Area: 90.81 m²
Total Floor Area: 103.47 m²
Structural Engineering: EASTERN design officeContractor: arcc
Photographer: Koichi Torimura
+ All images and drawings courtesy EASTERN design office | Photo by Koichi Torimura
