christophe benichou is a french young architect that, apart from his collaborations with different architecture studios, envisions projects centered around the senses, sometimes even upsetting them. in the past we’ve seen a prefab peanut-shaped dwelling as well as a precarious ‘tip-box’ pavilion that offers vertigo-inducing views. in his latest project called sesame, the architect returns with a solitary monolith set within the desert.
all images by christophe benichou
sesame by christophe benichou sits in the middle of the desert sometimes as a ruin, other times as a dwelling. split open and ajar, as if following an incantatory spell, it contains in its cavities the icons of domesticity. stripped to the basics, the monolithic structure features some cuts on the slabs that seem to roll out in order to let the light in.
‘sesame evokes the ambiguity of a fixed or imminent movement, but also of an uncertain time, between ruin and contemporaneity,’ comments benichou. ‘sesame is a sanctuary of light and shadows, without any direct view to the outside: a place for introspection in the immensity.’
project info:
name: sesame
architect: christophe benichou architectures
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That deserves a ‘Wow’. You will need a large shed to keep a couple of gas-powered leaf blower handy after a sandstorm. It’s wonderful.
Jimmy