A House Awaiting Death

On the outskirts of Ise, Japan, the architects of EASTERN Design erected this elevated structure upon a unique request from a client:

“I will die in 15 years,” the client told them. “It will be a house awaiting that death. The building is fine as long as it lasts 15 years. Something small would be good.”

The house sits on a raised concrete foundation to afford breathtaking views of the nearby sea. Its simple facade boasts a row of irregular windows, set at various heights in the wall to afford a clear view of a stunning sunrise wherever the client intends to sit or stand. Slits in the interior walls and the positioning of the room’s divider allow for light and shadow to fill the room and erupt into beauty with each dawn.

“When I die it won’t be sunset, it will be sunrise. When the final moment comes, I will face the sea and depart on a ship flashing towards death. It’ll be a time revealed after death.”

The client chose to live out his final years with this simplistic request: a view of the sea where the sun rises.