The Monocle House, designed by Brazilian architect Alan Chu, is located in the Eldorado neighborhood of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, within the Chapada dos Veadeiros. This area, despite its proximity to the urban core, maintains its distinctive native Cerrado vegetation.
The concept behind the construction of the Monocle House is to suspend it, thereby preserving the existing topography and vegetation. Additionally, this design allows for an unobstructed view of the majestic rising sun behind the mountains in the background.
The construction is upheld by 12 metal pillars, situated 5 meters above ground level. Its shape is reminiscent of the old photographic monoculars, plastic objects with a trapezoidal form utilized for viewing chromed photographs against the light.
The shorter side of the trapezoid features a magnifying lens, while the opposite end displays the image to be viewed. The sides are enclosed to intensify the light, which brings the frozen image in the chrome to life. The project captures the essence of nature, freezing it in time, and exaggerating its proportions within a confined internal area of 40m2 and a deck area of 38m2.
The path leading to the house is defined by a winding staircase that ascends above the forest to the access deck, situated at an altitude of 4.5m, where the ceiling height is 3 meters. Upon entering, one must navigate around the enclosed volume that houses all the infrastructure of the house, creating a suspenseful moment that prepares for the surprise that follows. A 6.5m by 4.30m opening, instead of framing the view, allows the landscape to fill the entire space and invade our senses.
The Monocle House was specifically designed for Airbnb, with the primary objective of providing guests with a distinctive and unforgettable experience, coupled with a visually striking appearance, both of which are crucial for success in a fiercely competitive market. This enabled us to contemplate on various aspects such as time, approach, journey, scale, sensations, man, nature, ascent, and dissolution.