a house that claims to stop ageing and death is on the market for $1,495,000

designed as an interactive laboratory for everyday life, this house by japanese architect shusaku arakawa and his wife, american poet madeline gins, is on the market for $1,495,000 — a million less than its entry price. located in east hampton, new york, and dubbed bioscleave house, this experimental home is known for its atypical design that aims to set back, or slow down, the effects of ageing and death by exalting the personal well-being and longevity of its inhabitants.

all images courtesy of brown harris stevens

arakawa and gins met back in 1963, living an unconventional artistic and personal partnership that spanned more than four decades. together, they wrote a book titled architectural body where they introduced the term bioscleave — the way a body holds, or cleaves, to the surroundings. named after this, the hampton’s house was their first architectural project completed in the united states. with it, the creators wanted to fight mortality or extend life, stating that their designs made people use their bodies in unexpected ways, challenging equilibrium and stimulating the immune system.

the brightly-hued house features 52 different colors and is made up of four rectangular rooms. proteges of surrealist artist marcel duchamp, arakawa and gins created a floor that undulates with boulders, designed to make its inhabitants feel a bit uneasy, with few flat surfaces except for the walls. poles around the house make sure people will have something to grab onto when disoriented. with it, the designers wanted to make people more aware of their body.

‘the planning of the building demonstrates rotational symmetry to determine the position of four separate yet open rooms that radiate from the center: two bedrooms, a bathroom and a study,’ says the reversible destiny foundation. ‘the interior and exterior walls of these rooms are painted in blocks of vibrant colors in contrast to the opaque walls that link them together and define the parameter of the living space.’

if you are looking for eternity, or just want to live in a house that is more like an artwork, then the bioscleave house is for you.