Skilful play with convention: Haus W

The architecture of House W in Pullach in the Isartal valley plays skillfully with transparency and convention. Although the spiral structure eliminates the boundaries between interior and exterior, it nonetheless creates sufficient personal space.

House W stands out from the conventional residential houses in the neighborhood due to its spiral structure situated on a trapezoidal plot. Architects Allmann Sattler Wappner use room-high glazing to draw the garden into the house whilst opening up the whole house to viewers on the outside. The structure of the building is similar to the shape of a snail's shell and fulfills its inhabitant's natural need for security: the partially open ground floor with living and dining area, studio and library gives way to the private, increasingly more protected areas on the top floor. Here, the bedrooms, reading room and guest room open out onto recessed balconies. The two bathrooms form the pinnacle of the spiral-shaped structure. The external walls are fully closed and afford the residents complete protection. The glazed roof lets in natural daylight, meeting the building owner's desire for transparency.

On the top floor, the folding sliding shutters running on Hawa Frontfold 20 hardware in front of the generous window front form a semi-transparent privacy screen. Made from perforated metal plate, they are also an appealing element of design.