Casa Asomada, a snake-inspired clifftop holiday house in Tunquén, Chile

High on a wooded clifftop at Tunquén, on Chile's coast, a dark house peers out over foliage stirred by the sea breeze. Casa Asomada is the work of local studio Whale!, and its starting point was the archetypal snake: coiled, then raising its head to look into the distance. From afar it looks small against the Pacific and the sparsely built landscape, but it is a generous 255 sq m holiday home.

Two interlocking volumes form a single shape that works its way down the steep plot. The first holds the shared life of the house (kitchen, living and dining rooms) with a guest bedroom off them, all opening onto a courtyard sheltered by concrete walls, with a barbecue and storage. The second is for sleeping: two children's bedrooms below, the parents' en suite above and a shared bathroom nearby.

The architects describe a house that both retreats into the rock for shelter and emerges to take in the horizon. A continuous roof softens a plan shaped by changes in level and planning limits, turning it into what they call a single, quiet body.

This is a private family home, so there's nothing to visit, but it's a lovely read for anyone drawn to coastal houses that let the site write the brief.

Our summary of a story from Wallpaper*, published 20 October 2026. Read the original

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