About 130 km from New York, in the forest in the village of New Paltz, a wooden house lies. It looks like a flying saucer that has fallen from the sky.
Built with organic materials such as cedar, bamboo and limestone, Dome Space amazes because of its rounded structure, but above all, it does so because of its ability to rotate 360 degrees by itself. In this way, it completely provides itself with sunlight. A light experience that is achieved through the large windows of curved lines across its façade. A play of light and shadows that are born and lost with the coming of night or day. Even on cloudy days and in the hours of less sunlight the house always seems to have enough light, without the use any artificial lighting.
Another advantage offered by a rotating house is the possibility of a scenery change. Just pressing the button that makes it spin, the visitor may find seeing a mountain or the lushest forest.
Besides energy efficiency, bringing warmth and a very natural environment are some of the assumptions that led to Patrick Marsilli designing Dome Space. Wood is not only on the outer structure, but it completely covers the interior, getting a large and unified space. The walls, completely curved and made of wood, arch upward, joining everything in the centre of the ceiling, whose height reaches 12 metres.
Two distinct areas divide the rotating house. Downstairs works as kitchen, a living room and a dining room, since there are no separating elements. Upstairs, in contrast, there is an office, a library and these house the rooms. It is worth stressing its access, an imposing spiral staircase that blends into the roof.
Patrick Marsilli claims he was inspired by the soft and spherical forms of nature to create Dome Space. It should be noted that shells, seeds, burrows or nests were needed to find the basis for its existence. That curved universe, mixed with the most innovative and cutting-edge techniques, has led to the wonders of architecture and wood, just as this original home is.
