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Yes, it’s a round house and yes, it spins. It’s like the Jetson’s condo building crash landed on Earth and it’s still inhabited. This San Diego home, which rotates 360 degrees atop Mount Helix, was designed by owners Al and Janet Johnstone in 2004 to capture the panoramic vistas. The Rotating House is set across two levels and was a self-build project for the couple, who had no previous experience building or designing. After creating the blueprints, their design was reviewed by structural engineers, and the Johnstones set about constructing it. A powerful motor drives wheels along a steel track, rotating the floor in a 360-degree motion. A full rotation takes between 33 minutes to 24 hours, depending on the speed preference of the inhabitant, and the house can move in both directions. The circular volume is the primary living space, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, kitchen and four bedrooms with views that range from the Pacific Ocean to downtown San Diego, the Coronado Bridge, Cowles Mountain, Mount Palomar, and the Cuyamaca Mountains. A kitchenette, two garages and guest accommodation are housed on the first level that does not move, and there’s also a finished basement, rounding out to 4,700 sq ft. It’s not everyone’s taste. I like the idea but the finishings in this house aren’t for me and neither are some of the color choices. Peach? No. And lastly, who needs a house that spins? After a few too many Bob-a-Ritas my rectangular house in Camden also spins … without a motor!                        |
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Architecture Wednesday: The Rotation House
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I went to a restaurant here in Chi years ago that had this same principle. Loved the views. Did not care about the whole rotating thing.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea, their execution is a little too much for me. I'd scrap the decor and paint and start anew....
They do have money, huh?
XOXO
It's so not for me. It's a little too try-hard. And the interiors are a hot dated mess.
DeleteI ate at the Space Needle a long time ago and I think vistas probably much better. I don't understand the need for it to spin when for a certain period of time they will be looking at the rocks on the mountain behind them. I might visit for an hour or so, but I wouldn't want to live there.
ReplyDeleteWell, you rotate it and stop at the views you want. And I imagine the Space Needle would have better views since it's hundreds of feet up.
DeleteSoon as I heard Rotation House and saw it I was done. Nope. It would be perfect for the offices and recording studio of a music label though. Like other I ate at the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls. Meh.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I find it interesting and I'm sure someone else will, too, but it's a hard pass.
DeleteAs if actual vistas aren't enough, they painted trees on the wall??? Imagine living in the lower level and listening to the motor and the wheels in the track......
ReplyDeleteBut I suppose it's interesting and unique enough to lure someone.
I like the idea of a rotating house - change the views for sunrise and sunset or storms. Why, with such a beautiful outlook, did they feel the need to compete by painting bright colours in the house?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteAll I can think is earthquake.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, even it didn’t spin, being inside that house would nauseate me. The bad peach alone would do it and they even extended it outside. What a bad shade. Not to mention the furnishings and rugs. Oops, I mentioned them. I give them credit for an interesting idea. I would have given it more thought.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the first of its kind, but they have made better use of the interior. The sole disappointment are the small photos.
ReplyDeletethe dog's mother
ReplyDeleteAK!
xoxo :-)
Definitely not a colour choice I would make either. As for spinning the house in 33 minutes...that's just to show-off. I could maybe take 24 hours. City views at night, nature views in the morning from the living space.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of ugly, isn't it? Being from San Diego, I picture mudslides, fires and earthquakes. Are people really too lazy to walk from room to room to see the different views? Rhetorical. I've always hated peach and aqua colors together. This thing looks like it's waiting for it's mother ship to come pick it up.
ReplyDeleteLove the lot the house is on and the terraced landscaping. I would have built a traditional style home with vista windows. If money were no object, I would get rid of the revolving mechanism, do a repaint of the interior walls and ceilings, and furnish the house with top of the line mid century modern American and European furniture.
ReplyDelete-Rj
🤖😱 The Jetsons! I remember every Saturday morning hearing George Jetson scream "Jane, stop this crazy thing...Jane!" Of course, he was screaming about being stuck on the out-of-control, "spage-age," dog-walking treadmill...but still!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you who like the idea of this place. And, I really like the exterior look and the landscaping around it! Kewl!
🤪🙃 But, I think the inside decor is jarring and completely destroys the reason for having the spinning 360° views! The eye is drawn to the bold colors and geometric patterns inside rather than the beauty of nature the owners spent millions to enjoy!! The only room that comes close to meeting the concept is the office. Daydreaming close to the window, on the necessary breaks from work, and softer blue/green colors on wall and floor. 👍
The biggest negative in the decor is something I see far too often. Once daylight is gone, all lighting is harsh from overhead sources. It actually makes me ill and I can't survive without softer lamplight!
🥴 Sigh! Bob, I wish I had money for land, an architect, and an interior designer. I could sit with them and go through all my favorites from Architecture Wednesdays to create a showplace...and maybe qualify to be featured here!! 😁🥳
I love the concept----Love the views----The spinning will not bother me----I would rotate the home a few times a month, or so, to keep things lubricated----I hope one can find their perfect setting and leave it there until a desired change is needed----I love the interior but I would need to insist on a different color scheme throughout----I could sit and watch the weather come in all day long---
ReplyDelete