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A Panoramic Lookout in the Rainforest: Solo House by Pezo

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This astonishing ivory castle-cum-lookout springs up like a concrete toadstool from the heart of a densely forested region high up in Catalonia, Spain in such a way that a panoramic 360 degree view is maximized, while its building footprint is minimized.

The Solo House from Pezo Von Ellrichshausen Architects is a visionary piece of neo-classical architecture, and the first of a collection of unique Solo Houses.

Each of the outdoor rooms in the Pezo Solo House is arranged around the perimeter of a central sheltered courtyard that is completely open to the sky.

In a nod to the classical architecture of ancient Greece, the panoramic rotunda is meted out in regular intervals, with its sixteen columns at regular distances marching around the perimeter.

Because wood rots in the rainforest, the Solo House is built entirely in cast concrete, the concrete a reference to the rough wood it was cast in and to the color of the local limestone.

The stunning originality of the of the Solo House is clear in the plan. This is simply a pool at the center of a four-sided lookout.

As a result, the open-to-the-sky swimming pool at its center is almost like a private lake set into the top of a rocky mountain within a vast expanse of forest. A completely original idea.

The Solo House collection is an invitation-only collection from talented young international architects of innovative vacation homes that respond in a unique way to the environment. Studio Mumbai, Mos Office and Didier Faustino of Mésarchitectures are among others who have been invited to submit their ideas as well.