House wz2 was formerly an ordinary 1950s home before its facade was completely transformed by Bernd Zimmermann. The house was made over for a German couple, but the changes were mostly cosmetic, since changes that could be made to the building's proportions were extremely limited.
The most drastic change to the house came with cladding the entirety of the exterior in polished stainless steel panels, creating a mirror-like surface that makes the house seem like it's almost disappearing into its surroundings. However, some of the panels near the bottom of the house are rippled, which distorts reflections and prevents the house from looking completely invisible.
Additional exterior changes to the House wz2 included letting in more natural light by modifying existing windows, as well as adding a few larger ones in the walls and roof.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Reflective Architecture
- The use of polished stainless steel panels to create a mirror-like surface on buildings, making them blend into their surroundings.
- Minimalist Home Design
- Embracing a simplified and streamlined aesthetic by restricting changes to a building's proportions.
- Rippled Facades
- Introducing intentional distortions in reflective surfaces to create visual interest and prevent complete invisibility.
Where This Applies
- Architecture
- Incorporating reflective materials and minimalist design principles in building projects to create visually striking and harmonious structures.
- Construction
- Providing building materials and techniques that enable the creation of reflective facades and minimalistic homes.
- Interior Design
- Complementing reflective exteriors with modifications to windows and using natural light to enhance the interior spaces of buildings.
