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9 Luxe Homes That Feature Totally Shocking Design

August 22, 2023

From a Le Corbusier–inspired skylight turned rooftop pool to a hidden arcade beneath a mansion, these architectural masterpieces show the power of creativity

By  Jessica Cherner
No matter the style, interior design and architecture are industries where experimentation is a must. For instance, when midcentury modernist architect Frank Lloyd Wright debuted his iconic Fallingwater house in 1936, the world was shocked. After all, it is a fully livable, beautifully designed residence that Wright constructed over a flowing waterfall. Since news of Wright’s masterpiece spread throughout the world, architects and interior designers have paid tribute to the American genius with equally—if not more—shocking design.
And, like Wright, they’re experimenting with water in more ways than one. From a Le Corbusier–inspired skylight turned rooftop pool to a hidden arcade in the basement of a neoclassical-style Houston mansion, these radical spaces are proof that architects and designers are flexing their creative muscles. Here, AD surveys nine homes around the world with jaw-dropping interior design elements that would make Wright proud.
Photo: Jeremy Austin
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Ios, Greece

For his family’s home in Ios, Greece, Angelos Michalopoulos designed a series of marble pools carved into the natural rock formations scattered across the shores of the Aegean Sea. Not to mention, each of the pools was handcrafted by local sculptors without any industrial machinery. Michalopoulos was so pleased with the design, that he replicated it at his sumptuously outfitted hotel, Calilo. 
He notes, “This design approach allows guests to experience a harmonious bathing and lounging experience. They almost become part of the rock formation and natural landscape while benefiting from the rocks’ healing energy.” It’s also highly sustainable with minimal waste: The pool water is sourced directly from the sea to both eliminate water consumption and avoid taxing the already overburdened freshwater supply.
Photo: Aaron Leitz
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Seattle, Washington

Designed by AD100 architect Olson Kundig for a thermodynamic engineer and inventor, the Seattle residence is as much a stunning house as it is a working laboratory. Simultaneously rugged and polished, the double-height living room is cantilevered by a single 30-foot-tall steel pipe that houses a Rumford masonry fireplace. 
As for the rest of the home’s exposed systems, they were intentional, to highlight the resident’s affinity for tinkering. Plus, as an endearing touch, the firm labeled several of the home’s systems, including the radiant heating and window controls, with the names of the engineers and craftspeople responsible for their installation to celebrate the human ingenuity behind such inventions.
Photo: Lifestyle Production Group
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Miami Beach, Florida

On Miami Beach’s Palm Island, Choeff Levy Fischman created a mesmerizing 460-square-foot floating atrium within a midcentury-inspired home. With the foyer on one side and the ocean-facing living room on the other, the unique atrium—complete with oversized sandblasted limestone blocks seemingly hovering above a shallow pool of water—is the home’s pièce de résistance. “We want the residents and their guests to have a zen feeling, as if they are walking over water,” design principal Paul Fischman notes. 
Photo: Roger Casas
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Marina Del Rey, California

When Alexandra Loew agreed to update a Michelle Ertzan–designed mansion in Marina del Rey, she knew it wouldn’t be an easy feat: While the exterior was as elegant as any 1960s Parisian Le Corbusier project, the interiors, replete with a few tacky extravagances, were in dire need of a facelift. One such unexpected amenity was a 10,000-gallon shark tank. Her first order of business was doing away with the tank, transforming it into an inverted conversation pit that sat beneath an existing rooftop pool.
Photo: Julie Soefer
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Houston, Texas

“The client wanted to stay true to the French chateau feel,” Newberry Architecture design associate Elizabeth Echols explains. But this Houston home isn’t just a Provençal-style castle: It’s an ode to industrialism. “He wanted to bring in some inspiration that he remembers from several buildings he admired in Louisiana, where he and his wife once lived,” Echols adds. So, in the underground motorcade, the firm installed a massive Astros-inspired arcade complete with priceless memorabilia, classic games, and a collection of television screens. The most impressive detail, though, is the row of original Astrodome stadium seating, which the architects re-engineered and mounted to the floor for an authentic game-day experience.  
Photo: Jeremy Austin
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New York City

Emphasizing the powerful and obvious dynamic between the streets of New York City and the High Line, Zaha Hadid Architects outfitted a penthouse in the instantly recognizable 520 West 28th Street, with its iconic curved hand-brushed and -tinted windows, in such a way that celebrates that layered civic realm. In the penthouse’s bedroom, the architects opted for a demure feel, prioritizing the view and giving the massive window pride of place. With no overhead fixtures, the primary source of light—aside from the sun streaming through the windows—is an architectural LED system built into the wall behind the bed, creating a sultry feel.
He notes, “This design approach allows guests to experience a harmonious bathing and lounging experience. They almost become part of the rock formation and natural landscape while benefiting from the rocks’ healing energy.” It’s also highly sustainable with minimal waste: The pool water is sourced directly from the sea to both eliminate water consumption and avoid taxing the already overburdened freshwater supply.
Photo: Courtesy of Gori & Yoon Architecture
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Ios, Greece

For a villa in a small town nestled within the Tuscan hills, Gori & Yoon Architecture looked to Italian architect Carlo Scarpa. The space, minimal in its immediate aesthetic, presented a few challenges—especially in the windowless, dungeon-like basement. This is where Scarpa’s expertise (and creativity) came into play. Most of his projects boast myriad material volumes bathed in natural light, and the architects at Gori & Yoon sought to do a unique take on Scarpa’s signature style. The result is what they call a “well of light,” made possible by removing a large swath of the ceiling, opening up the space to the living area above.
“We wanted to give new life to the staircase, which could be useful not only as a link between the upper and lower floors, but perform some other kind of function,” the team admits. Enter: the bar, built into the stairway and decorated with a single Oluce lamp.
Photo: Rancho Photos
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Encinitas, California

AD100 architect Wallace E. Cunningham’s four-bedroom Crescent House, which appeared in an episode of Westworld, is built around a circular terrace that opens onto a crescent-shaped infinity pool overlooking the Pacific. The architect’s appreciation of such simple materials as glass and concrete is quite evident in the guest suite, which boasts a completely glass wall that looks out to a gravel courtyard and one of many outdoor decks. The idea behind the unusual residence was to feel upside down, though all of the principal rooms happen to be on the top level.
Photo: Craig Denis
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Miami, Florida

In an oceanfront Miami mansion, the homeowner committed the unthinkable: He took down the wall that separates the living space and the bedroom and replaced it with a $1.5 million, 800-pound black Pagani Zonda R. Only 15 are produced each year, and this one is exceptionally special. After all, it is hard to miss among the sleek furniture and muted palette. What’s more, the resident wanted the car to look as if it was floating in place, so he enlisted experts to design an aluminum-and-carbon-fiber stand.
This article is originally available at www.architecturaldigest.com