Enclosed Courtyard

The two-story “Π” shaped house is intentionally positioned on the plot, creating a central outdoor space with an eastern orientation and ensuring that all interior spaces have direct access to the garden, the green area and swimming pool. The building’s placement enhances the natural ventilation and lighting and emphasizes its relationship with the central courtyard.

 

Designing in relation to the street

The ground floor volume, situated on the southern side of the plot, provides privacy from the public street. The parallel volume of the first floor, which forms the Π-shape, is positioned towards the rear, giving the illusion, when viewed from the front, of a single-story residence. The horizontal continuous masonry, made of exposed board-formed concrete, is placed along the entire main façade. This creates the sense of an expansive volume facing the street and defines the residence’s main entrance. The parking area is cladded in wood, becoming integrated with the entrance. A passage of vertically planted flowers and metal structures for climbing plants, creates a distinct pathway of greenery towards the main entrance.

 

Functional layout and design

The entrance leads directly to the living and dining areas. The continuity of the exterior cladding material into the interior spaces resembles a wooden box and imparts a sense of enclosure, particularly in the areas housing the services and office. A set of sliding wooden doors that create a feeling of playfulness, alternately integrate or isolate the office space with the dining area. Using consistent materials and structures, the living room is extended further out to the exterior space.

 

Structure morphology

The continuous concrete and black marble furniture and ceramic flooring, create a smooth transition between inside and outside, unifying both the function as well as the feel of the space. The impressive 9m canopy of the master bedroom located on the first floor, shelters the outdoor garden lounge, further enhancing the continuity of this “functional” axis that leads to the protected terrace. The outdoor barbecue seamlessly expands the kitchen area to the sheltered outdoor living space, extending its functionality and creating an additional outdoor dining area around the central courtyard and pool.

The staircase’s first couple of steps are built-in, serving as a continuation for the built-in living room sofa and establishing a sense of cohesion within the space. The rest of the steps are made of a metal frame and oak wood, while glass panels act as a protective railing, contributing to the structure’s lightweight appearance.

The first floor accommodates three bedrooms, with two sharing a bathroom, while the master bedroom has views of the pool and garden, complete with en suite facilities and a separate wardrobe.

Social core

The hotel, located on the homonymous beach of Mykonos, consists of 24 suites of varying typology and rich common areas. It represents a modernization and architectural expansion of a small existing unit, part of which was demolished for the needs of the composition.

 

Design concept

The design aim was to create an internal communal focal point for the hotel complex. Thus, a water core was constructed at its centre, an inner courtyard dominated by a swimming pool around which the public spaces and suites are developed. Important design parameters were also the spatial coherence of the expansion with the existing section, optimal hotel functionality, room privacy and the quality of the view.

 

Functional organization and orientation

Both communal spaces and rooms face the inner courtyard and the pool, a relaxation area with wooden decks, sun loungers, low sofas, and a bar. Ground-floor rooms of the new building enjoy direct access to the pool from private courtyards, while those on the upper floor have access to private terraces overlooking the pool, beach and sea, just a breathe away from the complex. The floor area creates semi-outdoor spaces that function as circulation areas or living areas for the ground-floor suites. Access to the new buildings is around their perimeter, leaving the inner courtyard free of movement. A sloping walkway leads to the courtyards and entrances of the preserved section and is separated from the pool level by planting partitions

 

Material Alternation

For shading and protection of the privacy of the courtyards, wooden pergolas with bamboo cladding in natural shades and retractable shading membranes in off-white color were designed. The alternation of white and stone blocks is characteristic. White, lime-washed walls without guides, untreated stone masonry, and cementitious materials dominate both the building and the landscape. Olive trees, mottles, and herbs delineate the spaces and enrich the hotel’s environment.