The Aegean Islands in Greece are known for their strong winds – and the Cycladic island of Paros is no exception. It was this element that helped define the shape and layout of a striking new home designed by Athens- and Paros-based Greek architecture studio React – drawing on the surrounding environment and island lifestyle to create a cocoon for minimalist life. The project, named KITE, is a piece of crisp, minimalist architecture arranged around a central courtyard and set in a way the emphasises horizontality, in keeping with the landscape and local building fabric.
The site is located on a gentle slope a stone’s throw from the shore, overlooking the sea and the smaller island of Antiparos. Within it, the smart, white volumes of the house negotiate the irregularly shaped plot, while offering a feeling of protection for the residents. ‘The central courtyard acts as a nucleus, with immediate reference to the closed spaces and the environment: it is an organic part of the whole that retains both privacy and transparency,’ say the architects, Yiorgos Spiridonos and Natasha Deliyianni.
Cycladic simplicity for a minimalist life
A swimming pool and garden, sparsely populated by native vegetation, drawing on the island’s wider natural setting, complete the complex. Meanwhile, two ‘promenades’ give ‘the feeling of a small settlement', the architects explain, opening up views and pathways as needed to improve circulation, manage winds and ensure the ‘disarming simplicity with the environment’ takes centre stage.
The pared-down approach continues inside. Plastered and painted brickwork are matched by painted timber doors and windows. Industrial floors and metal pergolas add an element of roughness and durability to the whole, which contains living space and guest suites on the ground level and a master bedroom on a small upper floor above the living areas.
Transparency, nature and a contextual minimalism that draws on the island’s atmosphere of Cycladic simplicity dominate in this holiday home – ensuring relaxation and serenity come hand in hand with a showstopping architectural adventure.
INFORMATION
-
Sculptor Woody De Othello paints a Miami museum red for a show that ‘almost hugs you’The Miami-born, California-based artist opens his first museum exhibition in his hometown as an experiential journey through life and lifeless objects
-
Alpine A390 GT: French, fast and fun. A sporting EV with a real sense of occasionAlpine doubles down on its fast electric credentials with the A390 GT, the French performance brand’s largest car to date
-
Forget smart homes, Doma's 'intelligent' doors open at the sight of a familiar faceYves Béhar and Jason Johnson have founded Doma, a tech start-up dedicated to seamlessly integrating tech into your daily life
-
Tour an Athens penthouse – its designers’ own ‘house in the sky’This penthouse by Block722 is the architecture studio founders' own home and shows off impeccable detailing and dreamy, airy vibes
-
Explore a refreshed Athens apartment full of quirk and midcentury characterA 1960s Athens apartment is revived by architects Aspassia Mitropapa and Christina Iliopoulou, who elegantly brought its midcentury appeal to the 21st century
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s favourite July housesFrom geometric Japanese cottages to restored modernist masterpieces, these are the best residential projects to have crossed the architecture desk this month
-
A clifftop Rethymno house tells a story, framing views as far as the Libyan SeaThis house in the Rethymno region of Crete, designed by architects Gkotsis Serafimidou, is rich in local and natural materials – an oasis at which to disconnect
-
A retro video game is the unlikely inspiration for this island house in GreeceDesigned by ARP, this island house on Antiparos is a contemporary Cycladic home inspired by Tetris
-
A Costa Navarino house peeks out from amidst olive groves to ocean viewsThis Greek holiday residence designed by K-Studio balances timeless design principles with modernist touches
-
A breezy Greek island retreat lets the outdoors inOpen to the elements, an island retreat in Corfu by Invisible Studio was designed to suit the local climate, using metal mesh screens rather than windows
-
A Corfu house balances local vernacular and 21st-century minimalismCorfu House, a sensitive and minimalist holiday home, has been recently completed on the Greek island as a collaboration between architects Tony Wynbourne, Georgios Apostolopoulos and engineer Makis Gisdakis
