Architecture Wednesday: Cliff House in Syros

This summer house sits on Aegean island of Syros, Greece. It’s small, it’s just a summer house, but it packs a Wow.

The main intention was to unify the various spaces of the house under one roof facing the Aegean, without creating a massive volume, thus resulting in a deconstructed rectangle with massive openings from all sides.

Following a gentle descent through continuous miniature courtyards, planted with local aromatic herbs, you come to the entrance in the back. The main volume houses the common areas, living, dining, kitchen, while the slightly higher volume, covered in local masonry, houses the private areas, bedrooms and baths.

There are also four guestrooms also, because, you know, privacy, though each has easy access to the pool and the views. The ones closer to the house are intended for close friends while the ones under the master bedroom enjoy a private entrance and can easily be rented to tourists.

The outdoor area follows the topography of the landscape through a series of steps that define the outdoor areas and offer vast relaxation spaces, either sheltered from the sun or open.

But it’s not the house, though it’s sleek and clean, that attracts people; it’s the pool, and the views and the sheer Aaaaaah of it all.

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