House of Light

This is no ordinary house. At sunrise and sunset, colorful fiber optic lights create a dazzling show. The lights slowly fade in and out while showcasing an array of hues that both complement and contrast the changing exterior light.

James Turrell, a contemporary artist known for his manipulations of light, was inspired to design this space by Junichiro Tanizaki’s book In Praise of Shadows. The house serves as both an art exhibit and an unconventional, meditative place to spend the night.

On the first floor is a traditional Japanese bath (ofuro) that is also distinctively lined with fiber optic tubes on the edges of the door and tub that glow red, green, and blue. The bath opens up to an outdoor stepping stone garden. During the sunnier months, guests can operate a sliding ceiling that opens up the main room to a square-shaped sky.

The house features traditional Japanese style rooms, or washitsu, where up to 12 guests sleep on futon beds on tatami floors. Guests can use the kitchen to cook dinner and breakfast and are encouraged to enjoy the illuminations together. The large windows overlook a bucolic Japanese mountainside covered in feet of snow during the winter and verdant greenery in the spring and summer.