The post Dragon Mountain | Tourist Centre in Rizhao was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In a protected natural reserve in Paros, the redesign of eight obsolete vacation rental studios into a pair of upmarket houses, required a wise architectural approach and renegotiation, in many scales.

In its volumetric disposition, the design combines composition and proportioning of cubic volumes, repetition and standardization of openings, ample outdoor spaces and environmentally friendly materials; what is accomplished is a formal plasticity and architectural unity that respects the Cycladic vernacular, adapts to the landscape and confronts the requirements of contemporary vacation housing.

Each building is reinstated as a composition of cubic volumes upon a marked socle-platform, negotiating its harmonious integration into the landscape.

At a height of 3m from the base, a wooden pergola with cantilevered beams designates shaded, comfortable, and protected lounging, sunbathing, showering and food preparation areas, for all-day outdoor living.

Private spaces are distributed on the ground level, oriented towards the south, benefitting from the sea view and seamless outdoor access to the socle.

In-between the bedrooms, a central, glass-enclosed space contains the living room, as an extension of the outdoor area and the pergola, allowing the landscape to be present in a dynamic, changing way.

Living spaces -the lounge, dining area and kitchen- as well as an independent guestroom, are placed on the first level, enjoying panoramic views, both from inside as well as from the spacious balconies.

A protected, open-air lounge with barbecue is created between the living spaces and the guestroom, above the glass-enclosed ground floor living room.

The local vegetation in the unbuilt part of the property is enhanced, to increase the feel and quality of the Cycladic natural landscape.

Buerger Katsota Architects

The post Houses A2 in Paros was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The hotel is located on the northwestern part of the traditional settlement of Oia, Santorini, beneath the limits of the old medieval castle, Castelli, looking over the sea, Thirasia island and the world-famous Santorini sunset. Access to the building is provided from a stepped lane connecting Castelli to Ammoudi, its old harbor.

The building, a 19th-century two-story house with an old bread oven, a mule barn, small storage rooms, and a rainwater tank on the ground level, and all main rooms on the first floor, was in a state of ruin, structurally perilous with a derelict shell.

After thorough analysis of the old building, of its morphology and ornaments, the architectural restoration aimed to strictly preserve its initial appearance and interior space, without any compromises on its character or integration into the volcanic landscape and traditional settlement.

In the framework of its intended use as a hotel, a few minor modifications were undertaken in the outdoor spaces of the building: Renovation saw the construction of small water surfaces-swimming pools, sitting areas and partitions, and the differentiation of the two external stairs and interior distribution.

The hotel comprises three rooms on the ground level and two more on the first floor, each with its independent access courtyard and integrated lounge, bedroom, vestiary, and bathroom. The terrace accommodates a shared sitting area for patrons, with uninterrupted views of the caldera.

The white plasticity of the grotto rooms on the former ground level is complete with new, bespoke furniture. As a counterpoint, the lines and geometries of the old house interior are accentuated and highlighted, with the addition of new, bespoke colorful wooden furniture and a new oak floor, in the framework of a minimal island-neoclassical style. The surfaces of the baths and the mezzanine are faced with traditional pressed cement.

Local stone and heat-insulating bricks were used as wall infill. Ground-retaining walls in the landscaping were carried out in reinforced concrete and stone, with the necessary use of sprayed concrete on the interior and exterior surfaces of the building for structural reinforcement and water insulation.

The use of local volcanic rock on the retaining walls, brown-gray plaster on the facades and exterior floors, and grey wooden frames, contribute to the smooth integration of the building to its surroundings by means of its materiality, colors, and textures.

Olives, a palm tree at the entrance of the compound, lavender, thyme, and wind-resistant shrubs complete the building’s integration into its singular environment.

Kapsimalis Architects

The post Old Castle Oia was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The hotel is placed on the edge of the traditional settlement of Ia, at a steep slope with uninterrupted views towards the sea and the volcano. The program involved the restoration of existing buildings, with the addition of new grotto rooms and shared spaces.

The complex unfolds on six levels. The project faithfully restores the existing buildings, in the spirit of a contemporary, discreet interpretation of the old settlement’s cubist morphology, in line with the sculptural terrain.

The shape of the new grotto houses retains the structure, geometry, materiality, and white color of vernacular buildings. However, their layout and openings turn, to frame the sea view. The facades follow the contours of the natural terrain as jagged lines materializing in folded retaining walls, gently integrated into the landscape.

The formal outcome is characterized by its intensely dynamic character, where the downward movement of the central exterior flight of steps appears as a crack in the “body” of the building.

Kapsimalis Architects

The post Best of 2020: The Saint was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

When London based International Interior design firm Elastic Interiors were approached to design Nammos Dubai, belonging to a world-famous Mediterranean beach club brand notorious for its vibrant scene, they were elated at the opportunity to develop a new and upcoming destination. The firm, led by Partner & Creative Director Enrique Mangalindan and Founders Ria Vogiatzi & Alexander Xenos, along with their multi-faceted design team, are behind luxurious Resorts such as One & Only, AMAN, Marriott, among others.

The main design philosophy was to create an elegant interior that resonates of vernacular architecture, featuring authentic Mykonian materials. In this special location, the overall design aesthetic aimed to capture the soul of Nammos Mykonos, where luxury, leisure, beach life, fashion and the most memorable parties coexist in perfect harmony.

Upon arrival, large tiered reflection pools anchored by a single mature palm tree, surround the building façade, reflecting the Dubai sky and giving the illusion of a floating glass structure.

The pool is delineated by large stone platform steps, forming a bridge between the cobbled stone road and the elevated entry doors. This procession is heightened by the sound of cascading water running on both sides of the entry path, creating a full sensory experience.

The journey begins with the iconic Mykonian painted fieldstone as the main backdrop to the interior reception lobby. Ambient candlelit niches create a warm threshold between the reception and the excitement that lies beyond. The interior of the lobby is adorned with customized suspended light pendants that resemble illuminated beach pebbles, hung in varying heights to create a light filled, playful ceiling plane.

Curated sculptural furniture placed upon hand-crafted area rugs, is nestled on both sides of the lobby, providing a relaxed lounge setting where guests are surrounded by views to the lush garden and reflecting pool. The furniture upholstery is a selection of light colored natural linen fabrics that create a play on texture, while tone-on-tone patterned textiles celebrate intricate weaving techniques, often found in the traditional craftmanship of both Dubai and Greece.

These same weaving techniques are integrated into the interior architectural elements through textural rope embellishments, wrapping the chestnut screen ceiling, dotted with wicker wood beams. Both wicker and chestnut are local to Greece and are commonly used in Mykonian architecture.

The entry corridor separating the arrival lobby and main dining area is lined with tall, rich carved wood. In this carved path, the selection of fine wines, the best grade meats and fresh seafood is showcased like fine jewelry behind glass screens.

Elastic Architects

The post Nammos Dubai was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Overlooking the village of Casamaccioli, “a Casa Vanella” is a guest house nested in a natural landscape in the heart of Corsica, in front of three major summits: Monte Cinto, the Paglia Orba, and Cima a i Mori.

The program involved the creation of common spaces, a dining room and lounge areas, as an extension of the main house which accommodates the guests’ bedrooms. The idea was to detach the extension from the house and to situate it in the back of the plot, against a retaining wall in front of the village and the row of mountains. The extension is placed in the back of the “casone” (the family house), which occupies the center of the plot. The architects’ consideration was to integrate the new building in the site without imposing a gesture; instead, the objective was to highlight the particularities inscribed in the project itself.

Lit by the western sun, a Casa Vanella lies in the middle of a unique, timeless landscape. Walls of granite and slate line the chestnut-punctured plots. These majestic trees dazzle with their colors throughout the seasons, until they bare their branches at winter.

As if it were an inhabited retaining wall, the building frames the main constituting elements of the landscape. Three openings are oriented towards each of the three summits. The building becomes landscape, it becomes a place of contemplation, where the sun mediates between a space and its respective summit. In that sense, every evening of the year the setting sun makes those spaces unique.

Through this landscape in constant evolution, the architects wanted to create a project suggesting a duality; a duality between inside and outside. A first glance, the project barely reveals its openings; it appears like a solid mass of granite. Then, as it unfolds, this wall opens, becomes fragmented in order to allow the outward gaze and invite the light, in a controlled and measured way.

In a different way, the building interacts with time by means of its materiality – concrete and stone. Indeed, the juxtaposition of these elements unravels a narrative about the site, but also about time and technical means. Concrete is used in its truest way, forming posts and lintels. Stone is used as infill at the voids of the structure. Inside, the lime plaster incorporates and conceals the technical infrastructure.

The architecture blends the project to the point of dissolution inside a mineral mass, and leaves untouched the principal building, “u casone”. The project wants to graft itself in time, developing a sensibility between tradition, landscape and architecture.

Orma Architettura

The post A Casa Vanella was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.