Climbable built-in bookshelf doesn’t need a library ladder

We’ve seen many a home built for book lovers, but this residence in Yokohama, Japan, turns built-in shelves into a new architectural adventure. Designed by Shinsuke Fujii Architects, the home features a reasonably sloped bookcase wall created to be climbed sans ladder. One simply uses the shelves as treads.

From the outside of the home, the slanting wall helps to indicate and shield the entrance on one side of the building. The base of the structure is made of reinforced concrete with a built-in parking spot and steps to the first-floor entrance. The upper exterior is clad in black siding with vertical slats emphasizing the height and angle of the slope.

Stairs lead up from the first-floor level into the double-height living space dominated by the bookcase. Its reclined angle also helps lessen the impact of earthquakes—there’s no way the shelves will will fall inward onto someone below.

The room’s natural light wood paneling matches the shelf and extends its lines up a set of steps to the mezzanine-level sitting room. A small interior courtyard separates the mezzanine from a bedroom.

Back on the main level, black paneling serves to visually separate the kitchen from the rest of the space. This dark paneling extends from the top of the kitchen to form a built-in table hiding more bookshelves underneath.

Via: Designboom