The Olnick Spanu House by Alberto Campo Baeza
Alberto Campo Baeza Architects designed the Olnick Spanu House in Garrison, New York.
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The Olnick Spanu House by Alberto Campo Baeza
The place is of profound tranquility where after a day of rain and fog an intense light reflects in the stilled mirror of the majestic Hudson River´s deep waters. A place where twilights are a thousand colors as the water breaks into a thousand reflections. A place where the air is clean and calm, and mild. One could say a place that is very close to heaven. In this impressive place, we establish a plane, a platform that underlines the landscape before us, seeking to enhance it.
A large long box is thus built, 122 feet long by 54 feet wide by 12 feet high, with sturdy concrete walls that accentuate its relationship to the land. The roof of this box is flat, paved in stone, travertine, so that we may use it.
And to protect ourselves from the sun and rain, over the stone plane we raise a light roof 100 feet long by 40 feet wide by 9 feet tall, held by 10 cylindrical steel pillars that are arranged according to a 20 x 20 foot grid. This roof cantilevers 10 feet along all of its sides. And to make this space habitable, we put a glass box under the roof, an enclosure measuring 94 feet long by 25 feet wide. This glass box contains the back row of columns within it and leaves the front columns outside, in order to further accentuate its transparency.
This construction on the platform resembles a large table with ten legs. Three areas are created within it, divided by two white boxes that do not reach the ceiling, containing the stairs and service spaces. The central space is the living area, and the dining room has a large white table. On one side, closer to the swimming pool, is the kitchen, and on the other side, in the manner of a pensatorio, the area around the hearth.
And below, inside the cement box, the bedrooms and baths are housed. In its central vestibule, connecting the main entrance and the access to the garden, a gallery has been created where pieces of Arte Povera and other pieces of contemporary Italian art are displayed, in addition to other areas around the house. In all, once again, the cabin over the cave. The tectonic piece on top of the stereotomic piece.
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Visit the website of Alberto Campo Baeza Architects – here.
Photography by Miguel Quismondo and Javier Callejas
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Ben on 26 Feb 2011 at 7:10 pm #
Gorgeous.
Bezma on 27 Feb 2011 at 1:12 am #
This is a copy of philip johnson’s glass house.
Danilo Fontes on 27 Feb 2011 at 5:47 am #
Have you ever heard of a architect called Mies Van Der Rohe? This house is quite attractive but I cant stop thinking it’s the Farnsworth house over a bunker.
Connie on 27 Feb 2011 at 6:29 am #
Breathtaking.
Jimw on 27 Feb 2011 at 8:09 am #
Phillip Johnson?….No.
Farnsworth House (Mies van der Rohe)?…Undisputedly yes.
Stunning?….without question.
kmg on 27 Feb 2011 at 10:02 am #
yes. this is Farnsworth recreated, no question (though i’ve made no effort to compare / contrast the layout differences). and i agree, still very appealing.
and somehow, the photographs seem to suggest to me that this design is more livable than might be intuitive… very nice.
OBSCURUM on 27 Feb 2011 at 1:49 pm #
Very Farnsworth. Very photogenic. Very serene.
Great on 27 Feb 2011 at 3:40 pm #
I agree about the Mies influence on this house.
I don’t like the idea of the “cave”. If the Garrison is too perfect a place, why would you surround yourself in concrete?
Dennis on 27 Feb 2011 at 11:59 pm #
beautiful work! what is happening in the basement on the northern side of the house? there are so many doors all together there… storage?
Mee on 28 Feb 2011 at 3:52 am #
Pure, square and white. Although I still don’t see the point of creating the same “architecture”. When I saw this house I remembered Baeza’s house in Madrid that was build in 2000. Reflections and inspirations from abroad that’s very common, but repeating himself… Can an architect then be an “architect”.
evelyn on 28 Feb 2011 at 9:56 am #
so mies van der rohe….
Janson on 28 Feb 2011 at 10:32 am #
Visually striking and the design brief is clear. But how far is it from the main glass box living space to a bathroom? Looks like miles.
The closets or wine cellars or film developing rooms or whatever downstairs to the north are very mysterious and interesting.
And is the top roof used? it looks like two sets of stairs from the glass box – one up and one down? It’s exciting, I’ll grant that.
WETSU76 on 02 Mar 2011 at 8:50 am #
Farnsworth House 3.0 or Glass House 2.0
miley on 02 Mar 2011 at 9:26 am #
love it very much..minimalist, bright, neutral and wonderful views. a perfect composition. bravo!
john foster on 03 Mar 2011 at 1:52 pm #
Edith would be proud.
Keila on 04 Mar 2011 at 6:40 am #
I agree about the Mies influence on this house. [2]
But I don’t know.. the lower part doesn’t look like a house..
AP on 07 Mar 2011 at 6:03 pm #
Farnsworth, yes. Mies van der Rohe, yes. Himself? Yes. It pulls a lot of language from his own project, The Blas House, which I studied immensely while I was in architecture school, and more when I completed my education.
nanzcode on 13 Mar 2011 at 5:40 am #
very cool lol!! nice straight line all the way…