kapsimalis designs a pyrgos summer home on the greek island of santorini

kapsimalis architects completes a coastal summer residence in pyrgos, a traditional village on the greek island of santorini. the gently sloping site is surrounded by vineyards and faces southwest toward the aegean sea. architects marianna and alexandros kapsimalis designed the project as an artificial monolithic rock formation, watching over the landscape, eroded by time and natural elements. the resulting form is a subtraction of geometries from an initial mass.

all images by giorgos sfakianakis

the volume of the house — the result of a subtractive design method — is comprised of different parts, each with their own orientation. the moments at which these parts split create semi-open and outdoor passages. kapsimalis architects designed the project as a single residence which can be divided into three separate houses, each with its own private outdoor space. the form of the house has references to the traditional language of the island. these elements include santorinian vaulted roofs, fortification towers outside the islands’s castles, and the metallic balconies used in pumice quarries. the designers respected the architectural history of the island, subtly combining and embedding its elements into the monolithic structure.

the structure is made with reinforced concrete while local black stone, bricks and thermal insulation have been used for the walls. earth-toned plaster has been applied to the exterior surfaces and floors, while white plaster and white mosaic has been applied to the interior surfaces. natural wood, marble, rusted steel, cement, plaster and clay are used in the handmade interior and exterior furniture. mediterranean plants and cactus complete the integration of the building in the landscape.