S House by Tanju Özelgin

Çubuklu Valley is a private residential neighborhood set in a forested area in the northern Bosphorus part of Istanbul: this overshadowing development distinguishes itself for the extreme modernity of the houses it is composed of, a unique peculiarity since for the major part all the other projects in the city have been created using a traditional design styles.
S House is probably truly worthwhile staring at, amongst all these modern showpieces. It has been designed and developed in 2011 by Tanju Özelgin, a well-known Turkish product and interior designer who has been collecting several applauded works during the last twenty years, appreciated especially for the simple and direct approach to space. The overall structure of this house is stunning, harmonious combination between the natural setting and the cosmopolitan lifestyle of its owner.

The house consists of approximately 400 square meters of interior space and 480 of landscape and garden area. According to the sloped area in which it was created, it is developed on three floors: the natural landscape determines the entrance to be at the top floor, dedicated to the owner’s and guests’ bedrooms. The middle floor houses the kitchen, while the ground floor has been designed as a garden floor, a daily living area furnished with electronic equipment, a steam room and a sauna. The final complement is the external garden, which gives the house a (real) natural touch. The predominant colors in the whole structure are neutral, a profusion of a sense of calm and tranquility: white is the predominant pigment, alternated just with some black and grey contrasting elements.
Even if the concept of each floor is independent from the others, the shapes of furnishing and fittings have been specifically chosen for their basic, linear, squared shapes: in this way, harmony and equilibrium are the key element of the whole structure, partially interrupted by the modern conveniences and home technologies. The house seems the perfect oasis where to restore and recover from the chaos of the city.

However, the prerogative of this house pertains to the unique use of natural stone and wood surfaces, which counterbalance the light colors of the house and constitute a penetration of nature in the urban indoor environment, a sort of prosecution of the external garden. This usage is massive in the middle floor, where walls are covered with natural stone tiles. Furthermore, Özelgin has been particularly able to reduce the usage of artificial light through a careful analysis of how to emphasize the natural sunlight with a series of artifices, such as on the top floor, where the dressing cubicle has been located in the middle of the room and enclosed with a light tulle curtain: with this escamotage, the cubicle is lit with the natural sunlight, and the need of artificial light is minimized. A further detail to signal is the presence of sliding doors to separate the different parts of each floor: a quasi-imperceptible separation that gives a sense of endless harmony in the house.

With this authentic monument Özelgin has been able to give vent to his own incredible creativity, drawing inspiration from the surrounding nature: for sure a challenging venture to undertake, but the final result is probably even above any previous expectation.