A huge faux staircase interrupts the floor plan of this house in Tokyo, which design studio Nendo has created for three generations of the same family.
Stairway House is situated in a quiet residential pocket of Shinjuku, a ward of Tokyo known for its neon-lit buildings, bustling streets and vibrant nightlife scene.
The three-storey home is designed to accommodate three generations of the same family. It replaces a smaller, timber-framed property that had become overshadowed by surrounding apartment buildings.

Nendo constructed the new house in a brighter spot at the northern end of the site, being careful to preserve a mature persimmon-fruit tree that was planted by previous occupants.
The more accessible ground floor has been designated to the older couple in the family and their eight pet cats, while the upper two floors of the house have been given to the younger couple and their child.
To prevent the two parties from feeling isolated in their respective living quarters, the studio decided to erect a sweeping staircase-like structure that unites every level of the home.
It runs from the back garden, through the glazed rear facade and right up to the top floor.

Steel has been used to craft the portion of the structure that's inside Stairway House, while concrete was used to make the outdoor steps.
"Not only does the stairway connect the interior to the yard, or bond one household to another, this structure aims to expand further out to join the environs and the c...