Metal Shutter Houses: Unlocking the Extraordinary from the Ordinary

Metal Shutter Houses is the first condominium residence in the U.S. designed by world-renowned architect Shigeru Ban. This unique 11-story building is located in New York City at 524 West 19^th Street.

What makes this property so unique? Well, for starters there are 20-foot pivoting glass walls, shifting room dividers, and motorized steel exterior shutters. I’m going to take a wild guess that you’re home doesn’t have any of these features.

Each of Shigeru Ban’s residential projects are completely original, but they’ve all been inspired by three common ideas: flexibility, maneuverability, and versatility. His other iconic work includes the Picture Window House in Shizuoka, Japan, the Glass Shutter House in Tokyo, and the Furniture House 5 in Sagaponac, New York.

Ban is fascinated by the transformation of common materials into new things. A lot of his inspiration, as you can see from the photographs, stems from the simplicity and modern lines of traditional Japanese architecture. Looking at the exterior of Metal Shutter Houses, you can clearly see Ban’s attraction to stream-lined and simplistic design.

According to Ban, there is something inevitably compelling about the area between inside a home and the outside world. He believes the moment between “breathing in the world” and having a feeling of “shelter” is something everyone can understand. This is what inspired his concept of a “universal floor”, which can be seen in many of his designs, including the Metal Shutter Houses.

Each condo in the building can be completely opened to the outside air, exposing the expansive living room to the city air. The 20-foot pivoting glass wall creates one large open space, making the transition from inside to outside seamless.

The lower floors have motorized metal shutters used to regulate light and privacy. These shutters were designed to mimic the after-hours shutters used by a neighboring gallery. By opening or closing these shutters, it completely transforms the building from a completely open space to a closed up metal cube. Pretty amazing.

“I’m only interested in making something different. I have no interest in following a fashion. And when you look at the history of architecture, when somebody develops a new type of structure or material, a new type of architecture emerges. I like to develop my own structural systems and materials to make the work my own.”

– Shigeru Ban

There’s no doubt that Shigeru Ban designs beautiful buildings that are entirely his own. Ban is known in the architectural world as someone whose work builds upon the poetic. He thrives on the unexpected use of conventional materials in his designs and the transformation of a space into something entirely new. While he enjoys pushing every space into the unknown, he never forgets that he’s designing a home at the heart of it all.

Take the full VHT Studios tour of this property.

This property is listed by J. Eric Becker of The Corcoran Group.