Piperi House

Crystalline Sculptures over the Aegean

Striking boxes vividly stair stepping across their rugged Cycladic hillside, these contemporary island cubes designed by owner-architect Sigurd Larsen combine to form a panoramic villa that takes design cues from classic Cycladic architecture and the playful geometry of M.C Escher drawings.

Inspired by classic Cycladic volumes, the ensemble of white cubes tumbles across a hilly peninsula on Kythnos Island, creating a vivid flash across the rugged landscape. The monolithic cluster of four cubes is connected via steep, alley-like interior stairways, and the entirety of the villa is surrounded by flagstone terraces of a pale grey. The varied height of the cubes creates a playfully geometric interior, with window placements adding to the home’s strategic lineation. Starkly minimal, the villa’s architecture speaks for itself, with varied Aegean views creating the villa's only ornamentation.

AROUND

Set into and over a hillside on the Greek island of Kythnos, this villa offers panoramic Aegean views and easy coastal access. Staircases connect the house to the water, with the eastern path ending at a cliff face over the sea and the southwestern path leading to a sandy beach. Bald hillsides rise behind the home, blanketed in flowers and rustic shrubs. The villa looks out to the Cycladic archipelago. The isle of Kythnos is known for its wild, natural landscapes and traditional villages. Kolona Beach is the island’s best known waterfront, a 250-meter sandy isthmus surrounded by crystalline waters. Kythnos’ undulating austerity creates a series of small, open bays, home to more than 90 beaches, most of golden sand, some backed by rocky cliffs. The island’s capital, Messaria, was founded in the 17th century and is known for its classic, Cycladic village architecture and flowering streets brightened by hot pink bougainvillea. 

The island is also known for its strong winds, and its classic Cycladic windmills are postcard worthy. The isle’s Katafiki Cave and thermal springs are worth a visit. Katafiki was once an iron mine and is also home to a labyrinthine stalactite room. The village of Loutra is where you’ll find the thermal springs known for their therapeutic properties said to cure arthritis. The traditional village of Driopidia, created as an outpost for islanders to hide from marauding pirates, has a rich artisanal history of ceramics and features picturesque narrow streets and uniquely tiled rooftops. Water sports opportunities are many on the island, and landlubbers should note that the wild inland landscape offers hiking trails of various levels, in addition to numerous scenic routes meandering through traditional villages.

LOCATION

Kythnos, Thermia, Cyclades, Greece. Nearest airport: Athens, island accessible only by ferry via Piraeus and Lavrio

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year round