“The Void in the Stone” is the result of one client’s dream of a family refuge in nature.

The idea was to create a practical, albeit unconventional, house. The vertical expanse of the structure in nature gives the impression that it belongs there and opens new dimensions of the spatial organization. The topography of the terrain, the careful selection of the location, and the building’s specific positioning invite us to play with concepts of height and level.

The structure is built from module dimensions of 6x6 meters, which represent the maximum optimum parameters for construction in Serbia and provide ample opportunity for the creative manipulation of the vertical and horizontal uses of interior space.

At first glance, the house exudes an air of monumental impenetrability. On the other side, however, she opens graciously to the natural landscape which surrounds her. Beyond the heavy, layered exterior awaits a monumental, unified volume. This space is not partitioned horizontally; it breathes and expands into the whole height of its three floors. This is a gathering space, a source of light and a breath of fresh air, and its volume represents a resonant container for the stories and experiences of the family.

Orientation towards the external apertures of the facade turns the three-leveled interior space (the so-called ‘void’) into a gallery. As the sun moves across the sky, light dances upon the pristine forms of the walls. This cyclical interaction between light and space makes for an atmosphere of purity suggestive of the absolute.

The differential cultivation of the interior and exterior worlds is exemplified by the choice and treatment of materials. The exterior is clad with 7x7x7 cm cobblestones, arranged in a pattern reminiscent of city streets in 18th-century Serbia. This opposes the lean, modern, refined walls of the interior space, and adds another element to the experience of contrasting ambiance. 

This project reaches back into the annals of architecture and construction, not only through detailed historical references such as the precise placement of stones but also, more fundamentally, by its references to strong form and proportion. In this way, it reaches all the way back through human history, to a basic and primeval desire to build, to fortify. The driving desire for this project was to create an impression of coherence between integrity and identity, to inspire the feeling of creating a fortress for the self, and a place to fortify family life.