Vertical Glass House Invites Voyeurism Through its Glass Floors

The Vertical Glass House in Shanghai, China is not for the timid. Architect Yung Ho Chang of Atelier FCJZ received an honorable mention for his design of the house back in 1991 from the Shinkenchiku Residential Design Competition but 22 years later in 2013, the West Bund Biennale of Architecture and Contemporary Art in Shanghai decided to actually build it. The four-story building’s exterior is given an unassuming concrete facade but once you’re inside, everything is an open book. Save from a few panels to support the spiral staircase, each floor of the house can be viewed right through the 3 inch tempered-glass floors. Everything in the house is in full view including the toilet and the bathtub and each piece of furniture was tailored specifically for each room. At night, passersby are treated to a curious glow emitted from the glass house as each glass slab is lined with lighting and cantilevers beyond the exterior’s apertures.