THE DIVINITY OF PILLAR 4

When people enter the House in White, they might feel more like they are entering a religious building than a house. A symbolic wooden column is constructed in a wide, unimpeded area. Similar to a temple, the visual contrast between the surrounding white walls and the timber column conveys a feeling of grandeur. This is consistent with Shinohara's original architectural purpose to "sanctify the habitation" and "bring the symbolic space to life."

This treatment resembles the massive black columns seen in Japanese tea rooms. The black column represents a backbone or a mainstay, and its symbolic meaning in the tea room is exceptionally significant. They are typically utilized straight from the uncarved wood, next to the tea stove's corner. In Japanese tradition, the highest pillar is revered as a divine presence. Ise Jingu, the progenitor of Japanese shrines, contains a pillar known as "Heart of the God" that is worshiped as a representation of the soul of Amaterasu Omikami.

The same example also can be seen in many European shrines. Such a pillar serves no structural functions and is instead endowed with divinity. As a sign of spirituality, the central column of the "House in White" takes influence from these traditions.

The wooden column is attached to the hardwood floor as if it were a towering structure, creating the illusion of a tower constructed from the ground. The pillar is therefore imbued with divinity as the "heart pillar" of the Japanese family and as a bridge between human and the god. A house may be a normal habitation, a shrine, or a holy temple for ancestral spirits or gods. It relies on the construction process and our intended application. This demonstrates that a house may be a haven for spirituality and emotions in addition to protection from wind and rain. In "House in White" , Shinohara uses basic shapes and white color to create a symbolic setting that inspires people to look for the spiritual significance of space. By sanctifying the living space, he transforms it into a representation of human feeling.

Twenty years later, the House in White was compelled to be demolished, but the owner enjoyed it so much that he picked another location and constructed a replacement. Upon seeing the new "White House," Fujimoto sensed that something was amiss. How might diverse topographical surroundings correlate to the same design? But when the hostess moved by the pillar and leaned slightly on it as she pondered something, Fujimoto realized that the new "House in White" was the natural one.

If the original column was only a part of architecture design, the reconstructed one is a living companion. The original House in White is composed of two opposites: a house designed for people and people who adapt to live there. In the unconscious, these two affect one another and eventually meld into one. Human behavior provides the initially abstract environment with a daily link with its owner. In addition, the column serves as a physical connection between human routines and architectural space. At this moment, the divine and symbolic essence of the pillar's design has been stripped away, and it has taken on a humanity significance.