Master architects' sleeping theories, as seen in their masterpieces

How did the master architect design his bedroom?

Text by Jun Kato

When I visit a home for an interview, the client or architect first gives me a tour of the entire house. I enter through the entrance, then the living room and dining room, then the kitchen and bathroom. Finally, there is the bedroom, but in most cases I don't stay there for long.

This is because bedrooms are less explained than other living rooms and are perceived as spaces with a high degree of privacy. People tend to be considerate of each other when leaving the bedroom and quietly closing the door.

The most prominent areas in modern homes are the living room and dining room. These are semi-public spaces where guests stay when they visit. For example, imagine a room with high ceilings and large glass windows from which you can look outside. On the other hand, bedrooms, which are usually only used by the family, are rarely the main attraction.

The relationship between the living room, which faces outward, and the bedroom, which faces inward, can be said to have been carried over from the era of modernist architecture. Let's take a look at the bedrooms designed by great architects, taking into account the background of their activities.

Modernist architecture brings innovative simplicity to the bedroom

Modernist architecture flourished in the 20th century. Great architects produced one masterpiece after another in the residential realm, leading the era and style. However, if we focus on bedrooms alone, most are not very spacious, with simple fixtures and finishes. It seems appropriate to describe them as "beds" simply for lying down and resting.

If we think of a bedroom as an animal's nest, then a person sleeps with their eyes closed and barely moving, so they don't need a large space, and there's no need to create a unique space like an open ceiling. All that's needed is a quiet space that maintains the right temperature and humidity, allowing for a comfortable sleep. Nevertheless, each of the bedrooms that great architects have worked on can be considered innovative.

Roughly speaking, the defining characteristics of modernist architecture are that it is bright, clean, and uncluttered. In pre-modern stone and brick buildings, rooms tended to be dark and stagnant, and movement between rooms was cluttered and inefficient. New materials and technologies, such as concrete, steel, and glass, made it possible to create spaces that were light-filled, ventilated, hygienic, highly functional, and rational. The same is true for bedrooms.

The bright and simple bedroom designed by the architects was not the main space in the entire house, but it must have seemed very fresh to the eyes of people at the time.

The origins and evolution of bedrooms sought by master architects

When modernist architects designed bedrooms, they likely had in mind the prototype of a monastic cell rather than a royal bedroom like that of the Palace of Versailles: a minimalist, ascetic space for meditation, prayer, and physical rest.

Le Corbusier, one of the most influential architects in the world of architecture, had the opportunity to actually design a monastery in France, and created a series of cells with the same plan. The large windows facing the balcony let in plenty of sunlight, and the lush surrounding greenery spreads out beyond the windows. The width is the length of an adult man's outstretched arms, and the ceiling height is the height of one raised hand, creating an intimate atmosphere that matches the scale of the body.

Similarly, in the vacation cabin that Corbusier designed for himself and his wife, he placed great importance on the way light and scenery are incorporated, as well as on the scale of the body. Corbusier is said to have said, "I live there like a happy monk," and "This vacation cabin is extremely comfortable, and I will probably spend the rest of my life here." Le Corbusier achieved a bedroom space that is minimalist yet infinitely expansive, based on a monk's cell.

The unique space of the bedroom, where instinct and reason oscillate

It was Frank Lloyd Wright who pursued rationality while also seeking a sense of unity with nature and a sense of security rooted in the land. The concrete walls that appear in the bedrooms at Taliesin West are made from rocks found on the desert site, with round and angular stones embedded in them. The exposed, sturdy beams also have a presence that echoes the landscape, providing a spiritual anchor in the wilderness.

The Farnsworth House, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is a large, glass-walled one-room space, and even the bedroom is undivided, being continuous with the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Only movable furniture is placed between the bedroom and living room. Mies pursued the idea of eliminating the boundaries of the home to the extreme, and as a result, he ended up pulling the bed out of the room and eliminating the bedroom.

Mexican architect Luis Barragán saw his home and rooms as places for prayer and meditation, and so religious paintings and sculptures of Christ and the Virgin and Child are displayed throughout his home. The tranquil bedroom is a space that strongly reflects spirituality and religious sentiment.

The home designed by Scandinavian master Alvar Aalto is popular worldwide for its harmony with the surrounding natural environment and its use of natural materials that create a soft feeling. The private second floor is a model for modern housing, including the functionality of connecting the family's living room and bedroom. Surrounded by furniture, built-ins, and lighting fixtures designed by the Aaltos, it creates a relaxing space.

While pursuing the ideals of modernism, architects developed bedrooms with an understanding that they are closely related to the body. Furthermore, bedrooms are closely linked to the ideals and spirituality of each individual, resulting in the emergence of a unique space. If you open the bedroom door of a master architect's home and closely observe its "inward-facing face," you are sure to see a different side to its outward-facing, conspicuous expression.