Cubist construction with a breathtaking view
The Danish
architect Sigurd Larsen, who lives in Berlin, has fulfilled his dream of living
by the water with Piperi House. Not in Berlin, though, but in Greece. Because Piperi House is located on the slope of a small peninsula
stretching from the Greek island of Kythnos into the Aegean Sea. The house
itself is inspired by the Cycladic villages, characterized by white cube houses
and white steps.
Piperi
House, for example, consists of a group of four white cubes embedded in the
slope at different heights, and as a crystalline sculpture that seems to be
carved from a single piece of white stone, contrasts the island's arid
landscape of burnt browns and greens. For the interior of his house, Larsen
chose mostly furniture that he has designed himself. For the furnishing of the
bathroom, the architect opted for sanitary products from the company Laufen.
Designer meets graphic artist
Via an
endless cycle of stairs inspired by the drawings of M. C. Escher, Piperi House
allows you to climb over, under and through the house in one. Inside and
outside, the white stairs offer a playful circular movement through all the
levels of the house, offering several panoramic views of the neighbouring
islands, especially the rocky island of Piperi. In order not to distort this
view, the interior is kept minimalist, and the furniture in Piperi House even
functions as a picture frame. From all three beds in the bedrooms, the dining
table and the sofa in the living room of the house, the view of the small
uninhabited island of Piperi is perfectly framed.
But not
only in the living rooms, also in the bathroom, the freestanding Sonar bathtub
ensures that you have the perfectly framed view of the Cyclades archipelago and
the ever-changing colour of the sea and the sky. In addition, Larsen has
reservedly and elegantly equipped the bathroom of the house with further
products from Laufen, such as Sonar washbasin trays with base cabinet, a
Kartell Laufen washbasin mixer and a bathroom and shower mixer.
200 degree open view of the sea
Larsen also
placed particular emphasis on the orientation of the rooms in Piperi House: All
bedrooms have the same orientation towards the sea and thus also the same
advantageous view. Finally, the architect has also designed his summer
residence as a rentable holiday home, in which all guests can enjoy the same
view from their bedroom: a 200 degree open view of the sea.
In turn,
the different outdoor spaces, which are formed by the white cubes and which
open up in different directions, offer protection from the coastal wind. During
the day, from sunrise in the main house on the east rock until sunset in the
beach kitchen on the southwest side you can walk around and being undisturbed. Also,
the path to the water and the happiness of swimming is close, since two stairs
connect Piperi House with the Aegean sea. One leads to a path to the rocks and
cliffs in the east, and the other to a path to a small sandy beach on the
southwest side.