A Kythnos Island house offers a 21st-century take on the local vernacular
A Kythnos Island house, Piperi, is a contemporary Greek home by Sigurd Larsen drawing on its location's vernacular

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Piperi is a modern Kythnos Island house that bridges past and future. Created by Berlin-based architect Sigurd Larsen as his own holiday home, the residence draws on its Greek location’s local vernacular and traditions, while being infused with contemporary style and 21st-century mod-cons.
Piperi: a modern Kythnos Island house
Set on a hillside overlooking the Cycladic archipelago, this Kythnos Island house was composed as a series of cubes in a geometric arrangement. Its volumes are a nod to the traditional Aegean island architecture, which is defined by low, white volumes of minimalist architecture.
A series of staircases and steps connect the various volumes, bridging levels and indoor and outdoor areas. ‘The white stairs playfully offer a circular movement through all the levels of the house. Inspired by the drawings of M.C. Escher, one can move above, below and through the house in an infinite circle of steps. The cluster of four white cubes is set into the hillside at different heights, creating multiple panoramic views of the neighbouring islands,’ the architect explains.
Among the elements in view from the home’s expansive terraces is the small, uninhabited Piperi Island which lends the project its name. Larsen ensured the small island is perfectly framed from the main living space and its sofa, seen through a large glass door leading outside.
The architect adds: ‘The property continues over the ridge of the hill, where a small guest house is built into an existing stone barn with an outdoor kitchen and pergola. During the day, one can migrate from the sunrise in the main house on the eastern cliffs to the sunset at the outdoor kitchen facing the beach on the southwest side.’
Piperi is available for holiday rentals.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).
-
New London restaurant Pollini opens at Ladbroke Hall with interiors by Vincenzo De Cotiis
Architect Vincenzo De Cotiis and chef Emanuele Pollini create Pollini, Ladbroke Hall's new restaurant
By Malaika Byng Published
-
Terra Carta Design Lab announces second edition
For the Terra Carta Design Lab’s second edition, students and recent alumni are invited to design high-impact, low-cost solutions to address the climate crisis
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
How to conquer the Atomic City: the story behind U2 at the new Las Vegas Sphere
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere redefines the 21st-century rock concert. We spoke to the band and its team about the genesis of this expansive art and music experience that marks the opening of the high-tech venue
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
KKMK, Greece: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023's newest entry is Greek studio KKMK, behind projects such as this minimalist haven in Athens’ Psychiko
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Syros house is conceived like a small Greek island village
This Syros house by architects Block722 is a holiday home in Greece, designed like a small island village
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Ridge House flows in the spirit of its Antiparos Island landscape
Ridge House by AREA, Architecture Research Athens for Oliaros Development is a Greek retreat, perfectly embedded in its Antiparos island setting
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The Social Athens makes waves in the Greek capital
The Social Athens by OOAK architects opens, featuring a distinctive wavy façade and an interior that balances social life and seclusion
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Athens in 2023: architecture and creativity are on the up
Athens is enjoying its very own metamorphosis with a plethora of recently restored buildings, large-scale projects and fresh new openings
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Peninsula House is a timeless piece of Greek island architecture
Peninsula House, Atelier Bow-Wow’s latest collaboration with developer Oliaros, is a free-flowing, art-filled holiday home on the Greek island of Antiparos
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Art1 Office is an Athens workspace reborn
Architecture studio Neiheiser Argyros meticulously revamps an Athens workspace through colours and shapes in Art1 Office
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
ARP, Greece: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. ARP from Greece is the latest reveal from our 2022 list
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated