Photo credit: Amey Kandalgaonkar via Design Boom
Shanghai-based architect Amey Kandalgaonkar was enthralled by the rock-cut tomb architecture of Saudi Arabia’s Mada’in Saleh, an archaeological site that constitutes the kingdom’s southernmost and largest settlement after Petra.
So, this “House Inside a Rock” came about, and it looks to be something straight from a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie, or possibly one set on another Earth-like world. We imagine this being the perfect lair for a Bond villain or a mega wealthy billionaire who just wants to get away from it all.
- Travel back in time to the 26th century BC. and discover the Great Pyramid of Giza and its surroundings with this LEGO set for adults
- Includes 2 smaller pyramids, 2 mortuary temples, Sphinx statue, workers' village, an obelisk and a section of the Nile River with a barge
- Lift the outer structure to reveal the Royal chambers, main tunnels & a system that may have been used to move the stone blocks during construction
Considering the visual complexity of the rocks at Madain Saleh, it was imperative to use simple planes and cubes in order to achieve a visual balance. I started out creating the rock in 3d software which in itself was a sculpting process. Later when inserting the house into this rock, I tried to keep its visual impact from eye level as minimum as possible and only when observed from a bird eye, the real extent of the intervention is revealed,” said Amey.
