kapsimalis architects’ summer house in santorini emerges from a cliffside cave

kapsimalis architects’ summer house in oia, santorini

Set in the village of Oia in Santorini, Greece, Kapsimalis Architects’ Canaves Summer House emerges from a cliffside cave to overlook the Aegean Sea. With their reconstruction, the architects preserve the majority of the original home’s traditional Greek island architecture, injecting it with a distinct eclectic character and discreet elegance. Part of the Canaves Hotel, the new design harmoniously complements the existing white, exterior and cavernous interior forms — boasting earthy tones, vaulted ceilings and curving walls and openings. Seamlessly extending the exterior to within, the luminous interior is defined predominantly by smooth, bold off-white plastered walls, dark gray marble floors, and dark stained oak fixtures. 

all images by Yiorgos Kordakis

the home emerges from within a cliffside cave

The two-bedroom Summer House, part of Oia’s Canaves Hotel, is partially nestled inside a cave. As it emerges from the Caldera cliffside, a white, flat-roofed, and long-vaulted structure is revealed, composed of various levels integrating into the undulating forms of the cliff. Kapsimalis Architects’ design embraces and maintains the home’s existing traditional architecture and the cavernous, vaulted ceilings and curving walls, highlighting its timelessly minimal and sculptural nature. The architects subtly reform the exterior with the addition of an outdoor yard with a plunge pool, and lounge and dining area. A rounded white metallic sunshade shelters residents as they unwind and overlook the island’s idyllic seascape.

‘The house that is partly in and out of the earth, creates a sense of anticipation and surprise, as you move deeper in its interior, exploring its spaces’, comments Kapsimalis Architects. Two skylights introduce natural light, like light ‘chimneys’, creating the illusion of being under the earth. In a fluid continuation of the outer space, the interior is defined by smooth, bold off-white plastered walls, dark gray marble floors, and dark stained oak fixtures — the earthy tones and materials echoing the natural context and embracing traditional Greek architecture. An eclectic yet minimal collection of fabrics, furnishings and ornaments complement the space; metal, wood and marble objects and fixtures, textured fabrics, ceramic pots and plates and opal glass lights enliven the space and add a unique character. Parts of the custom furniture are integrated into the surfaces of the existing ‘cocoon’, sealed with white, local cement plaster.

the interior is defined by smooth, off-white plastered walls, gray marble floors, and dark stained oak fixtures

an eclectic yet minimal collection of fabrics, furnishings and ornaments complement the space

Kapsimalis Architects maintains the existing traditional architecture, vaulted ceilings and curving walls

part of Oia’s Canaves Hotel, the two-bedroom Summer House is partially nestled inside a cave

the house is partly in and out of the earth, creating a sense of anticipation