White U House, Modern residential architecture in Nakano, Japan
The White U House is a modern residential building in Nakano designed with a U-shaped floor plan that wraps around a central courtyard. Bedrooms are arranged around this interior space, and reinforced concrete forms the primary structural material.
The house was designed by architect Toyo Ito between 1975 and 1976 and built for his widowed sister and her daughters. The design emerged in response to a significant personal change in the family's circumstances.
The residence incorporated Japanese architectural elements through its focus on environmental symbolism rather than pure functionality within living spaces.
The building sits on a residential plot in Nakano and appears relatively modest from the street. To fully appreciate the interior spaces and spatial arrangement, visiting the inside is necessary.
Light enters through carefully positioned openings in the ceiling that cast shifting patterns across the white interior surfaces. This calculated approach to light is one of the most striking features and shapes the daily experience of living in the house.
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