zeinstra van gelderen architecten: rubber house

‘rubber house’ by zeinstra van gelderen architecten all images courtesy zeinstra van gelderen architecten

amsterdam-based office zeinstra van gelderen architecten has created a small pavilion made entirely out of rubber. the appropriately named ‘rubber house’, currently on display in the museumbahnsteig in oberhausen, germany, offers a space for quiet contemplation, meditation, and an escape from the outside world.

measuring 2.3m high, the amber-coloured rectangular monolith circumscribes a perfect square of 1.5m X 1.5m. to enter the ‘rubber house’, one must step in through a vertical slit on the side of the structure. the introverted character of the pavilion is further reinforced by the hollow acoustics of the interior and the cave-like atmosphere provided by the glutinous, partly translucent walls. one wall provides a small bench in the egg-shaped room, while another features a window-frame that ironically offers no view. every element of the house, including the bench and window frame, is made out of poured in place urethane resin.

entrance and window

protruding bench

the window frame

elevation of the window wall

(left) section through bench and window frame (middle) facing the bench (right) facing the window frame