apollo architects’ ‘timeless’ home in tokyo is a light-filled fortress with secret gardens

the timeless house in tokyo

designed as a celebration of raw concrete, the ‘timeless’ house in tokyo is designed by japanese practice apollo architects & associates, headed by satoshi kurosaki. from the exterior, the building is expressed as a stack of two monolithic volumes divided by a single ribbon window. with this horizontal glazing the upper block seems to float over the lower, even cantilevering outward with a sense of lightness. 

images by masao nishikawa

a light-filled fortress by apollo architects

contrasting its fortress-like exterior expression, the ‘timeless’ house by apollo architects & associates (see more here) is open and light-filled inside. through strategic cuts, the design team open up the solid volumes to create private open-air courtyards, full-height atriums, and massive skylights. in this way, the occupant maintains an important element of privacy from the project’s urban context, while enjoying a space that is breezy, sunny, and filled with greenery. 

the warm interiors of the house

apollo architects exaggerates the timeless house’s contrasting stark exterior and welcoming interiors with a thoughtful materiality. from the street, the reinforced concrete structure shows a wall of ubiquitous grey. for the occupants inside, however, the floor and ceiling are wrapped in a warm timber finish. full-height walls of glazing gaze outward to the home’s lush courtyards and sunny atriums. a thoughtful use of lighting additionally lends warmth with its ambient glow at the edges of the building to further the warm atmosphere.

from the street, the concrete structure shows a wall of solid grey
internal courtyards open the house to the sky while maintaining privacy

the courtyards are filled with plantlife