Traditional house in Kythera

Traditional House in Kythera

Type: Residential    

Design: Panagiotis Papanikolaou    

Location: Kythera

Year: 2019 - 2020    

Size: 100 sqm

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The project takes place in the Greek island of Kythera. During the previous centuries, the island was under Venetian and English occupation, while it was also very often a target of pirate attacks and raids in Medieval times  which explains  the intense presence of fortified structures, small windows and thick walls in the morphology of traditional structures around the island.

The existing traditional stone house was built in the early 1910's and stands at the end of a remote village, next to a cliff, overlooking the Kytherian landscape. The complex consists of the main house and an additional structure that was used as the family bakery. Over the years, the structures suffered from modifications that altered their traditional character.

The main aim of the project is the restoration of the traditional morphological elements of the buildings  and their adaptation to its users' contemporary needs. The design focuses on the creation of a courtyard that allows a dialogue between the two buildings. The landscape is carved, creating different levels, while a proposed pergola unifies the two buildings, framing the the view towards the landscape. The architectural form and language of the project draws inspiration from elements of local traditional and fortification architecture such as thick walls and chimneys and small openings. 

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