In Poland, designers turn unused crack between two buildings into a home
Property & Construction
Etgar Keret's House, a project by architectural firm Centrala, is only 47 inches wide but will be a fully functional home upon completion.
We’ve already seen efforts to come up with a design for a home on a restricted budget, with the $300 house. In a similar vein, Poland-based architectural firm Centrala are now working with limited space in an attempt to fill the unused crack between two houses with a domestic building entitled Etgar Keret’s House.
Between the buildings at 22 Chłodna and 74 Żelazna in Warsaw, there is a small gap that is currently used only as a trash site. Initiated by Centrala architect Jakub Szczęsny, the space is now being shaped into a two-storey home for Israeli author Etgar Keret. A steel structure has been created which will form the basis of the building, and will include a bed, toilet, cooker, desk and storage space, despite being only 47 inches wide. Stairs to enter the building are operated by remote control and flatten themselves when not in use, while a water and sewage system inspired by boats has also been implemented. The team stress that the project is not an attempt to test the limits of liveability, but instead to make effective use of otherwise wasted space in Warsaw and show how restrictions in architecture can be overcome. The house is set to be completed later this month.
Due to its small nature, Etgar Keret’s House does not fulfil the criteria that would make Polish planning permission laws applicable, giving the architects free rein with their design. This resourceful approach to the use of scarce city space could surely provide plenty of inspiration for other urban developers.
Spotted by: Raymond Neo
1st October 2012
Email: banaszewski@centrala.net.pl
Website: www.centrala.net.pl