While Santorini's smooth-edged, white-washed buildings have captivated travelers for decades, so have the island's yposkafas—the vaulted, cave-style houses delicately nestled into the rocky terrain. This holiday home embodies everything wonderful about such cave-style dwellings, yet with a minimalistic and modern twist. Designed by local studio Kapsimalis Architects, this striking, 1,076-square-foot abode gracefully blends in with its peaceful landscape, and also embraces views of the Aegean Sea below.

The floor-to-ceiling glass doors slide open to fully connect the interiors with the pool terrace, blurring the boundaries between inside and out.

Traditional Santorini cave houses usually have long, deep floor plans with narrow facades, but with this house, the architects have inverted the proportions to create a slender, rectangular plan with a 33-foot-long glazed façade that opens the interiors to the pool terrace and sea views.

By cleverly melding traditional, Santorini cave-house building techniques with pure, pared-back modernism, Kapsimalis Architects has created a home that takes full advantage of the island's unique views and terrain.

Project Credits:

Architecture, structural engineering, landscape, lighting and interior design: Kapsimalis Architects

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A Modern Home Is Gently Slotted Into a Steep Slope in Santorini