Wide Open Villa / KLab architecture
Architects: KLab architecture
Location: Ekali, Athens, Greece
Project Area: 1,050 sqm
Project year: 2006-2009
Photographs: KLab architecture
The monolithic volume is shaped by two parameters: the street, whose curve it follows, and the private garden, which imparts a planar quality to the side in question. From the outside, the building has an austere, almost monumental character.
The same language of monumentality has been transferred to the interior where large open spaces meet dominating volumes and white clinical surfaces. The most imposing feature of the house is located in the main living room, a grand stone-clad fireplace that connects both in spatial and visual terms the interior with the exterior. Additionally, the double-height space of the living room is flooded by light as a fully glazed wall provides unrestraint view of the main garden and the swimming pool.
Throughout the house the spaces are characterized by straight lines and orthogonal shapes, this is interrupted by the gentle arc of the staircase that leads to the upper floor where the bedrooms are located.
Furthermore, the villa hides a space of tranquility underground, an indoor swimming pool and a sauna occupy this lower lever and there only means of natural light is a west facing skylight that poors light into the room. Concealed lights in the ceiling ,a backlit translutent wall and the reflections provided by the water add to the serene atmosphere of the space.
Natural light plays an important role in the design of the villa, in the upper level of the house rooflights allow light to enter into corridors and bathrooms creating the appearance of larger spaces. The master bathroom is no exemption, a more playful touch has been introduced, a green glass shower partition, that gives a unique character to the space when the light passes through this green filter.
concept diagrams
Where most of the spaces that form the interior of the villa are of grandeur scale the kitchen is designed to meet the needs of a modern family, where both the practicalities and the intimate moments can be accommodated. The dining area overlooks a small private garden that is screened by a line of cypress trees, a large island unit that is situated in the middle of the kitchen deals with the daily activities of a busy household.
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- ground floor plan
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- basement floor plan
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- first floor plan
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- concept diagrams
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18 comments »
AMAZING, this is serious architecture, entrance to the stairs is very nice
duoble hight living room is really cool
2 pictures(basement floor flan and first floor flan) was died, I can’t see, pls update. Thank you because share everyboy
This is an exceptionally incredible project, elegant, simple yet dedicated. Great Great architecture.
This house has an austere complexity in its volumetric proportions and massing, with rigorously edited and resolved detailing. Just the right amount of texture, and somehow even the white on white sofas work perfectly in the space. I especially like the sculptural and paper thin guardrail on the stairs. Sexy
This is a simple project which demonstrates what you can do with a budget higher than the average: nice materials, some interesting spaces… no more. If someone likes Richard Meier, there in some cases you could see great concepts. For me, the only interesting thing is the way it resembles the shape of the lot… the rest is not exciting.
Here I was thinking it’s one of Meier’s designs until I saw the pool/the bathroom – anyhow simple and effective design. If it is Meier copy at least it’s a good one. Cheers
what a mess . architecture not clear and bulky . insted of making it clean and simple . it is strange that some compare this with meier’s design . it is everything but meier . take another look at his design . every line there is justified . here there is no continuity . check the stairs again , nice idea but the ending is so heavy as if taken from another project . details are a mess so many mistakes every thing looks so poorly desigend . the walking way overlooking the double height space is so heavy and bulky and the lines of that “bridge” so many corners . no flow . no elegance . so many languages . no composition . it seems like it was desigend and built at the same time . things were added along the way .
it reminded me about smith house just when saw the double height space!don’t like it that much!
It looks like the standard Berverli Hills building with a little bit more tast and updated to this time. But not long an it will be amazingly PAST!
I can´t say it enough, I hate spots.
Booring and already seen 100.000 times.
It´s a great house to live, but booring project.
If I was the client I would have hired Richard Meier instead…
I absolutely love it! yes we’ve seen similar projects, but this one is greatly executed. It looks good inside and out and is very elegant. I would love to live there!
Richard Meier revisited.
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