Kaohsiung, Taiwan
“Different living quarters are connected like stars in a constellation through intermediary spaces that offer buffer and transition, where a balance between family unity and individual privacy can be maintained,” says Grace Ming-En Chang, lead architect of Atelier Gratia.
“The house is like a giant sundial where the passing time and changing seasons are noted: planetary movements are constantly felt through the ever-changing shadow play below the skylights, while the colors of the sky are captured on the kaleidoscopic surfaces of the panoramic glass façades that wrap around the courtyard.”
Grace Ming-En Chang of Atelier Gratia has designed a residential building made of concrete in the center of the city of Kaohsiung, located in an angular, loosely star-shaped plot from which the project has gained its name.
A sanctuary shielded by a monolithic concrete mass in a dense neighborhood, the design of Star House revolves around the concept of the stars, where reflection, refraction, and triangulation are the recurring themes.
The Star House has a central courtyard framed by several smaller patios that dot the floor plan of the four different stories, opening up the interiors, while creating connections and in-between areas.
It features a powerful aesthetic, its volume carefully crafted in angular concrete, which cuts a bold shape in residential streets.
The concrete’s roughness is complemented by swathes of glass, which allow the space to visually flow, as well as timber.
Project: Star House
Architects: Atelier Gratia
Lead Architect: Grace Ming-En Chang
Clients: Sheng-Lee Chang and Hui-Ying Yan
Photographer: Yi-Hsien Lee