The four-story Vertical Glass House, by architectural firm Atelier FCJZ was originally designed for an architecture competition back in 1991, before finally being constructed for the Shanghai West Bund Biennial Architecture and Contemporary Art exhibition. It now serves as an occasional guesthouse for visiting artists and architects. The house has a total floor space of 170 sq m. Its outer appearance is very simple and the concrete facade is broken only by a few small slits which emit light onto the street outside at night. The ceilings, floors, and the roof are all constructed from durable 7-cm (2.7-in) thick tempered glass slabs, which are supported by a large central steel column and framework. This layout enables visitors to view each room in the house from top to bottom by simply looking up or down.
Architects: Atelier FCJZ
Location: Longteng Avenue, Xuhui, Shanghai, China
Principal Architect: Yung Ho Chang
Project Architect: Lu Bai
Project Team: Li Xiang Ting, Cai Feng
Client: West Bund
Area: 170.0 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of Atelier FCJZ