A Historic Fortress in Greece Becomes a Ruggedly Handsome Home
Houses We Love: Every day we feature a remarkable space submitted by our community of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners.
Project Details:
Location: Kardamyli, Greece
Architects: Etsi Architects / @etsi_architects
From the Architect: "Our task was to turn a listed historical building into a modern family home, while simultaneously respecting its place in the local landscape, history, and community. Its location in the port of Kardamyli since the 18th century makes it a focal point for the area and we wanted to honor that. After briefly being resurrected as a motel in the 1960s, it had been partially buried in concrete and fallen into disrepair, giving us the perfect opportunity to reimagine it as a home while preserving it for the future.
"Because of its role as a fortified customs house, the building, formerly known as the Teloneio, was originally designed for protection, with goods storage on the lower floor and defensive barracks space above. We needed to open up and connect spaces across both floors in both buildings, adding features to make it feel like a home.
"Our challenge centered on three main areas. First, we revealed the stunning 18th-century stonework, turning short squat buildings into tall slender ones by carefully excavating from the surrounding concrete. We then restored the shell in keeping with the original fortified Mani architecture. We also restored the roofs and added keyhole windows in the lower floors to add light and air and to make it livable. Second, we wanted our clients to be able to move freely within and between spaces. Until this point, although the two buildings were attractively offset with a sheltered courtyard between them, all rooms had separate access from the outside. We connected the rooms within each building, added a staircase with a bold cut of the main vault, created access to the outdoors on the south side, and linked the two buildings together. Third, because we see ourselves as "progressive regressionists," we used local materials including marble floors from nearby Itilo quarry, olive wood furniture and veneers, and local pebbles for the entrance mosaic, employing traditional techniques for the pointing and repairs.
"We achieved a historical restoration and an elegant second home that maximizes the sea views, with a flow between internal and external spaces. Four bedrooms, an office and three bathrooms across two buildings, and an open plan kitchen/dining/living area for a modern family to enjoy. The project also transformed the local community, overcoming reservations in restoring a beloved landmark and becoming a visitor attraction. It went above and beyond what we and our clients hoped for."
Teloneio was built to provide direct, protected access to 18th century naval traders at the tip of the port of Kardamyli. Its proximity to the sea is at once a blessing and a challenge, as the building needs to withstand the beating of severe winter storms.
Built as a fortified customs house, the complex originally offered segregated protected storage spaces on the lower level and guarded trade areas upstairs. Connecting buildings and levels while revealing the original character of the building was our biggest challenge.
Access to four independent lower level storage rooms was solely through the surveyed and protected north courtyard.
A series of concrete-based restorative interventions in the ’60s had defaced the masonry and buried the tower in more than a meter of concrete. Revealing the stunning 18th century stonework and excavating the foundations turned a short squat building into a tall slender one.
The south façade was the most exposed to intruders. Not surprisingly there were no openings on ground level and very few above. In the mid 20th century two windows with horizontal lintels were introduced, and we further created a door and repurposed scaffolding holes we discovered in the stonework.
The feeling of being on the bridge of a ship is very strong in the main room. A strict pallet of marine grade materials sourced locally and applied by heritage builders create a clean backdrop for the owner’s art collection.
We see ourselves as "progressive regressionists" and the Teloneio as an example of what can be achieved when open minded experts collaborate in regenerative architecture. Archaeologists, heritage builders, specialist restorers and local craftsmen worked together to build a bridge from the old to the new.
Few materials can withstand the salty atmosphere of a seaside environment. The kitchen, the railings, the windows, and doors were designed in stainless steel for this reason. All other materials such as stone, sand, bamboo and chestnut wood have been used for centuries because of their resilience.
Our boldest act was the necessary introduction of a junction by way of the surgical removal of a slice of the vault and the insertion of a stairwell with a door on its landing. This node connects entrance to courtyard, upstairs to downstairs and introduces light into the crypt-like storage area.
This sheltered passageway to the protected courtyard used to be the seaside entrance to the Teloneio. In its third rebirth it has become the octopus room, a place to ponder and connect to the horizon.
Published
Get the Renovations Newsletter
From warehouse conversions to rehabbed midcentury gems, to expert advice and budget breakdowns, the renovation newsletter serves up the inspiration you need to tackle your next project.