kos + zerebecky design a cloud-like staircase for this villa in shanghai

named so for its central staircase, the ‘cloud villa’ in shanghai is a three-story private house designed by kos architects and atelier zerebecky. concentrated around the sculptural white piece, the space is as airy and bright as the skies, accompanied by a stylish kitchen and kids’ room featuring a pink slide.

all photos by highlite images taipei

the villa’s abstract cloud-like staircase celebrates fluid movement through space, while dividing the main entry from the main living space. as the focal point of the house, it optimistically reinforces domesticity as an act of unencumbered weightless living; in contrast to the restrictive bulk of the typical sprawling megalopolis in china.

the main living space with its overscaled, nearly 8 meters-high vaulted ceiling, gives kos and zerebecky’s villa a sacrosanct quality. the discrete rooms are designed to satisfy their own internal logic —  bedrooms, kitchen, gym, theater, entertaining spaces all connect to this stair and the open space. 

project info: 

design team: lukasz kos (kos architects), andrei zerebecky (atelier zerebecky), song xianjun, danni lu

photography: highlite images taipei

designed: 2014
completed: 2018