Curtain Wall House by Shigeru Ban

The Curtain Wall House situated on an constricted intersection in Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, consists of an elegantly spare two-floor block of open living spaces sandwiched between a large, overhanging triangular roof and deck that extend almost to the curb line. Around the perimeter of the triangle, the Shigeru Ban architects hung white curtains that can be opened or closed to regulate the degree of transparency between interior and exterior. In winter, a set of glazed doors (in combination with the curtain) can completely enclose the house for insulation and privacy. This thin membrane takes the place of shoji and sudare screens, and fusuma doors that appear in the traditional Japanese house. “Mies [van der Rohe] invented the glass curtain wall”, Shigeru Ban explained, “but I just used a curtain.”