originally designed in 1973 for ed bye, in ridgefield, connecticut usa, for a long time it only existed as a concept until groningen decided to actually build the house. designed to place living in the context of time by means of a wall which symbolizes the physical transition from past to future through the present, a transition between back and front, closed and open. the wall, one-and-a-half m. thick, forms the basis of the house. the entrance and living elements literally hang from it. to reinforce this idea, a narrow gap is left between the wall and the elements. hence the wall is not directly manifest in the interior but can only be perceived visually. it is a theoretical house, based on the idea of the physical confrontation between space and time, elaborated in separate elements. it is a museological manifestation of an important architectural concept. although it wasn't designed for this particular site, it does enter into a dialogue with its 'everyday' surroundings. |