Project: Piperi House
Architecture: Sigurd Larsen Design & Architecture
Location: Kythnos, Cyclades, Greece
Area: 130m2 + 20m2 guest house
Year: 2023
Photo Credits: KKROM
Piperi House is located on the hillside of a small peninsula that projects out from the Kythnos Island into the Aegean Sea, overlooking the Cycladic archipelago. The house itself is inspired by Cycladic villages defined by vernacular white cubes held together by white stepped alleys. As a crystalline sculpture cut out of a single piece of white stone, the monolithic volumes contrast the dry landscape of burnt brown and green hues.
Inside, as well as outside, 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 neighboring islands.
The presence of the Cycladic archipelago and the ever changing color of the sea and sky can be experienced from everywhere in the house. From the inside, the view of the small uninhabited Piperi Island is perfectly framed from all three beds, the bathtub, the dining table, and the sofa. The terraces not only connect the different spaces, but also underline the Mediterranean landscape. From outside, the roofs of the white cubes can be accesses as elevated plateaus above the rocks.
Along with the 200 degree open view of the sea, come the costal winds. The various outdoor spaces formed by the white cubes have different orientations, thus creating a windless spot regardless its direction and strength. Two staircases connect the house to the water on each side of the peninsula. One path leads to the rocks and cliffs on the east, where one can jump into the sea, and the other takes you to a small sandy beach on the southwest side.
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.
