Located on the hill of Aleomandra, in Mykonos, but almost completely hidden in nature, the Mandra residence faces the sea and the sunset over the neighboring island of Delos. A holiday home with 6 bedrooms, built for a young and dynamic couple, to enjoy with their family and friends and celebrate the spectacular view, mixed with a garden with stone walls and sensitive landscaping that protects it from the road.
The house was built with the idea of a slow and relaxed summer life, and encourages a conscious connection with family, friends and the freedom to exist peacefully in nature. The shape follows emotion and not function, as every space becomes an opportunity for rest, reflection and exploration.
To create a home that would allow guests to enjoy outdoor spaces throughout the day, we needed to filter the intensity of the local climate, providing shade and protection. Although the residence needs to accommodate a large number of guests, the architect did not want to dominate the landscape with large volumes. Inspired by the humble complexity of the island's traditional vernacular, they have reduced the architecture to 2 small volumes traditionally painted in white built around a large seating area in the courtyard covered by a wide pergola. This patio becomes the focal point of the house, perfectly connected to the living room and kitchen volumes, facing the pool and gardens. Under the pool garden, there are private dorms that silently enjoy the uninterrupted view over the lower garden and the sea. Its separation further reduces the overall impact of the home and clearly divides the social and private space.
The key to the character of the house is in the palette of traditional materials, such as lime, natural stone and wood, which were applied and designed with contemporary techniques to create a non-nostalgic architecture that unites heritage and context with contemporary life. With hand-built stone walls, the volumes with rounded edges are perfectly smooth. The usual pergola was designed to increase its structural integrity, forming a trellis that rests lightly on the white volumes, shading and protecting the extensive patio below.
The simple light volumes, the natural stone walls and the light planes of the pergola are comfortably inserted in the Cycladic landscape. The efficiency of its layout, centered on the patio's living space, simplifies daily life. The Mandra residence uses the humble Cycladic tradition, enriched by natural materiality and inspired by contemporary Greek summer life.
Post by: Giovanni da Paz
Source: Archdaily
Architects: K-Studio
Photography: Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann Photography
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