Periscope by MUS Architects is a residential project located near Lake Żywiec, Poland, where the primary architectural challenge was the absence of direct views toward the water. Although the site is positioned beside the lake, an elevated earth embankment surrounding the shoreline obstructs visibility from the plot. The house was therefore conceived as an architectural response to this topographical condition, focusing on elevating the living spaces above the line of the embankment.
The project takes its name and formal reference from the optical device known as a periscope, which is used to observe beyond physical obstacles. This concept informed both the spatial organization and the geometry of the house. Rather than following a conventional residential layout, the building adopts a reversed vertical arrangement that places the main living functions on the uppermost level in order to secure unobstructed views of the lake and surrounding landscape.
all images by Anna Porebska / MUS Architects
MUS ARCHITECTS organizes PERISCOPE in a Reversed Vertical Layout
The functional program is distributed across three floors. The ground level contains the entrance area, a two-car garage, and a spa zone connected directly to the garden on the western side of the site. The first floor accommodates the private night zone, including bedrooms and bathrooms. The top floor contains the living room, dining area, kitchen, and an additional toilet.
The elevated living area is fully glazed along the lake-facing side of the volume, opening the interior toward panoramic views of Lake Żywiec and the Beskid Żywiecki landscape. This continuous glazing also reduces the visual boundary between interior and exterior space. A separate staircase positioned along the northern side of the building connects all levels vertically. Additional functional systems are integrated into the design to support the reversed organizational scheme. A freight lift positioned in the garage allows groceries and household goods to be transported directly to the kitchen level above.
The building’s form reflects the conceptual logic behind the project by MUS Architects, translating the function of a periscope into an architectural volume shaped by orientation, elevation, and visibility. Through its vertical arrangement and elevated living platform, the house transforms the limitation imposed by the embankment into the defining principle of the design.
the residential volume is positioned beside Lake Żywiec in Poland
the architectural form is inspired by the optical logic of a periscope
elevated living spaces are oriented toward unobstructed lake views
the monolithic exterior geometry responds to site topography