Residence in Dionysus

Primeval shelter

Situated in the serene, pine-covered neighborhood of Rea on the northern slopes of Penteli, the project harmonizes with the forested landscape that serves as its backdrop. It is designed to meet the demands of modern living while evoking the sense of protection and intimacy found in a primordial shelter, seamlessly blending with the mountain’s mystical surroundings.

Design Philosophy

The process of composition was inspired by a spatial archetype: the form of the shelter, intrinsically linked to the concept of “dwelling,” has historically shaped human spatial preferences, reflecting our inherent predispositions. The residence in Dionysus offers, through contemporary architectural language, a symbolic and spatial reinterpretation of this archetype -an effort that seeks to evoke memory and, ultimately, a return to the authentic, the primal, and the enduring.

Building Morphology

This rhetoric finds architectural expression through a geometrically defined, tectonic, and Doric-inspired form -a structurally coherent whole, marked by an enigmatic simplicity. The central compositional gesture involves the suspension of a monolithic volume made of exposed concrete. This strictly prismatic shell contains the private bedrooms of the dwelling.

Specially designed aluminum flyscreens regulate the exposure of the delicate interior to the exterior. By elevating the shell, the ground floor is freed, allowing it to seamlessly merge with the outdoors. Stone elements anchor and visually lighten the concrete volume while organizing the interstitial spaces in close connection with the courtyard and natural ground. These two seemingly contradictory spatial qualities are balanced and unified by a large interior patio, which serves as an intermediate space. It facilitates visual connectivity while providing optimal natural light and ventilation for the house’s interior.

Context Integration

The orientation of the plot and the architectural development along the east-west axis allow natural light to permeate and become an integral part of the spatial experience. Sunlight, at times filtered through the tall surrounding trees and at other times directed into the interior through carefully placed openings, animates the spaces and creates an almost monastic atmosphere.

Hour by hour, season by season, the ever-changing natural light transforms the sensory experience, revealing and emphasizing different elements of the architectural composition. The exposed concrete wall, paired with its linear staircase situated just below the elongated roof opening, serves informally as a sundial, marking the passage of the day for the inhabitants.

Central Structure

The sensual narrative of the design extends into the evening hours. Subtly underlit, the monolithic volume seems to dissolve into the starry sky, while protectively embracing the life it contains. At the heart of the dwelling, the “hearth” enhances the earthy warmth of the space. Here, inhabitants and visitors alike, as they gather and live within this “shelter,” will repeatedly rediscover, with a touch of surprise, the timeless beauty and precious value of simplicity.