I am normally not in the habit of posting minimalist architecture. While white cubes and concrete planes are interesting and pleasing to see and to ponder, regular readers of this blog will recognize that I am not really a minimalist. I am slightly more of a Tony Duquette-Kelly Wearstler-more-is-more kind of guy. Truth be told, I occupy a zone somewhere in between these two poles. But the OM House by Studio Guilherme Torres--as well as the Glass Pavilion from an earlier post here--seem to be exceptions. While the Glass Pavilion is noteworthy simply for its extensive use of glass and sprawling size (and its lineage to Mies van der Rohe), the OM House, located in Londrino, Brazil, is noteworthy for the warmth and earthiness it exudes. Far from a white, sterile or clinical contemporary minimalist space, Studio Guilherme Torres has managed to make this large and mostly empty house feel cozy. The choice of natural materials helps achieve this feeling as does the views of palm and bamboo trees through the glass curtain walls. Nearly all minimalist homes have a "Zen" sense to them, at least for me, but the OM House feels more "Zen" than usual for a spare, clean interior. Perhaps the materials and greenery recall a more authentic and organic Zen (Japanese) experience. I do however, have to make a humorous observation: in this spectacularly modernist masterpiece, an anachronistic Princess telephone with a cord is wall-mounted in the kitchen (seventh picture down)... how did that happen?
http://www.guilhermetorres.com/
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