There is something extremely poignant about the solid presence of XRANGE Architects’ Wandering Walls. Built from cast in-situ concrete, we’d expect this eight-room concrete structure to be sorely out of place in an ocean-facing mountaintop location; instead, it appears right at home where it is, banking on the image of concrete stability against the whims of the natural landscape that surrounds it.
“The design concept seeks to create a sense of quietude and permanence with a single architectural element and a minimal palette of materials,” explains the Taiwan-based practice.
Overlapping, stacked ribbony curves shape Wandering Walls’ Brutalist silhouette, which in turn produces small courtyards, outdoor pockets and corridors. From its back side, the raw concrete façade is almost hermetically closed off; the dramatic views come into play once one steps inside. Angled towards the ocean, the build welcomes panoramic views across its three storeys, from the accordion glass panels of the ground level to the floor-to-ceiling sliding doors preceding the terraces and balconies of the second and third floors.
The raw materiality of the exteriors continues indoors, softened by the presence of wood in the form of contemporary furniture pieces and slatted encasements for its overhead ventilation systems, or the light-coloured textiles used in the bedrooms. The atypical residence culminates in a rooftop terrace, where an infinity plunge pool regals visitors to 360-degree views of verdant forests and mountains to one side and the ocean to the other.
XRANGE is an architecture and design studio whose portfolio of work is characterised by concise strategic thinking, bold forms and distinctive material attitude shaped by Asia’s urban contexts.
Photography © Kuo-Min Lee / Lorenzo Pierucci Studio