At first glance, the idiosyncratic form of Solo House bears a striking similarity to John Lautner’s 1960 octagonal Chemosphere. In fact, the Chilean architecture duo of Sofia von Ellrichshausen and Mauricio Pezo was not even familiar with that iconic house—perched on a California hillside atop a concrete pedestal—when designing their top-heavy concrete structure.

Sliding floor-to-ceiling glass walls enclose the rooms but open completely, turning sleeping and dining areas into stately verandas. By contrast, one enters the house through the 31-square-foot cavelike podium, ascending a circular staircase to the elevated courtyard—the only living space enclosed by four walls, though it is open to the sky. At its center is a swimming pool—in essence, a giant void at the heart of the monolith.