Yesterday I came across this article about Architecture and Photography by Konsantinos Kontos, in LIFO magazine. The first photo I saaw was some kind of an almost transparent cement frame, showcasing the greek blue…. I had to know what it was about….
We are talking about the house of greek sculptor’s Costas Varotsos and his wife’s architect Nelly Sfakianaki in Aegina island in the Saronic Gulf, near Athens. The couple, both architects – even if mr. Varotsos is more known as one of the most important greek sculptors of this generation – decided to leave Athens and move permanently to Aegina, in search of a more inspiring setting.
The view from the house, placed on the top of a hill, is unique and opens in front of the visitor’s eyes from every single corner of the house. Nelly Sfakianaki created a house almost translucent. The wide opening make you part of the rural landscape, while it enters effortlessly into the interior of the building. With central axes the earth and the sea, the house looks like floatingbetween the green and the blue. Despite the great opening, the absolutely perfectly studies orientation, allowed the architect to design a bioclimatic residence.
Due to the big slope of the hillside, the main entrance leads directly to the upper floor. In the center, between the kitchen and the bedrooms, prevails theatrically a patio. Enthusiasts both of the minimalism, they chose to use only the necessary furniture. The two Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs are placed to remind that “God is in details”. Next to them, the “Black Aphrodite” (made by the owner himslef), is placed there strategically to express the modern esthetics of the house. All of Varotsos’ pieces, standing discreetly, supplement the spare design and allow to interact with the transparency of the Aeginian atmosphere. The very same materials he uses, such as glass, stone and steel, in order to create his art pieces are used for the house, as well. The colors are a sequence of grays and whites. The gray resin of the floors, meets the lighter gray of the furniture, which in its turn  dissolves into the white of the walls. The built indoor staircase leads down to the artist’s atelier and his wife’s studio.
The gray of the exterior walls softens due to the colorful reflections of the nature.The resin tends to create a sense of harmany and deletes the limits between interior and exterior, creating a unique sense of freedom. Balance, simplicity and absolute geometry alternate harmoniously in a house that throught its own concision manages to be truely exceptional.
Source: tovima.gr, Â lifo.gr
Photos: Konstantinos Kontos, Giorgos Kordakis, Konstantinos Varotsos.
arkitekting ; a blog about art, architecture and visual reality 