Lantern House

Authors’ Comment

Located directly along the edge of Plevnei Boulevard, the house emerges from a contradiction: its primary source of natural light lies in the same direction as its greatest source of exposure. The south and the street coincide.
A fully glazed façade would bring daylight inside but expose the home to the pavement. An opaque façade would protect its privacy but separate the interior from the sunlight. The project responds with a translucent boundary capable of preserving both.
Thermally efficient glass blocks allow southern light to penetrate deep into the house while preventing direct views from the street. Diffused daylight reaches the living spaces and accompanies the vertical circulation, while domestic life remains protected.
After sunset, the relationship is reversed. The façade no longer receives light but gives it back to the city. The house becomes a lantern at the edge of the pavement: a luminous presence along the boulevard, revealing that it is inhabited without exposing the life within.
By day, the house receives the city’s light. By night, it gives it back.