The Judges Awards

05.5 White O House, Chile, by Toyo Ito & Associates

Located in the small town of Marbella in Chile, this project is a holiday house that makes the most of the site's long views. Sitting on a slope and designed so that its rich north-east openings frame the surrounding nature, the soft grey concrete structure is built around a circular internal courtyard. The house was designed as a single flowing space, spiralling around the garden and allowing the house's social areas to benefit from an inward-looking long strip of floor-to-ceiling glass. Meanwhile, the more private rooms are placed away from the courtyard. The building follows the hill's angle and the house's different levels connect via a gentle internal ramp.

Key features: A flowing concrete form with splendid views wrapped around a green internal courtyard

Architects' previous work: Za-Koenji Public Theatre, Tokyo; Sendai Mediatheque, Miyagi, Japan; Serpentine Pavilion 2002, London; VivoCity, Singapore

Based: Tokyo

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