Seemingly inspired by the European 20th century researches on existenz minimum, initially presented in 2009 as a rather eccentric architect’s idea, one of the world’s narrowest houses is becoming reality in the center of Warsaw, Poland. Referred to as an “impossible house” by its designer Jakub Szczesny of Centrala design studio, it will be 152 cm (60 in) across in its widest spot on the outside (its interior will come to 133 centimeters) and will be officially defined as an art installation, as it does not meet any legal standards of construction in Poland.
Located in the crack between the buildings on 22 Chłodna St. and 74 Żelazna St., the building, named Ermitage, will be a workplace, a hermitage created for an outstanding Israeli writer, Etgar Keret, and will also fulfill a function of a studio for invited guests – young creators and intellectualists from all over the world. The residential program is supposed to produce creative work conditions and become a significant platform for world intellectual exchange. Steel structure is being currently assembled in a workshop outside Warsaw and plans are to open the house at the end of 2012.
Structurally the house is a simple tri-dimensional steel frame finished with plywood, insulated sandwich panels and styrofoam covered with concrete cloth painted white. The interior will also be painted all white. The “living” will place itself on the transformable, remote control operable stairs that flatten themselves when being in “up” position and become regular stairs when going down. It will be equipped with boat-inspired water and sewage technology independent from city systems, the electricity will be delivered by a neighboring building.
