Europe 40 Under 40 Awards Tell a friend

Verga, Messinia 

Architects: Foteini Kallikouni
Client: Andriani Roussopoulou
Photorealistic images: Foteini Kallikouni

The project is conceived as a summer retreat in a remote village and its design is built upon the dynamic contrast between the ruins of a 100-year-old stone house versus a “light” structure of indoor and outdoor spaces.

The project acts as a subtle threshold that provides not only access to the decaying house but also interesting accommodation for the visitor. The ruins enclose comfortable and view protected areas for lounging, swimming, and showering, dining and food preparation ensuring all day outdoor living.

An attempt is made to reconsider the degree of “privacy” of each space for summer vacations. Therefore, an inversion of the existing typology of the yard is considered necessary in order to follow the current extrovert lifestyle of a modern visitor. One canopy and one deck are installed to define two types of spaces.

The main entrance to the structure has remained the same as well as the old, stoned path “kalderimi” that leads to it. The ruin remains intact and the new structure does not adhere to the decaying walls. It is only there to recover the original essence of the place and challenge the typology of the stone house.