CASA SANTORINI is a miniature complex in the traditional village of Megalochori in Santorini. It is comprised of four Cave Houses which have been totally refurbished internally, while keeping the external walls of the house of Granny Yemeli, who lived there until recently when she passed.
Megalochori is a traditional village on the East side of the island. Its history goes back for centuries, and its civilization is closely connected to the geological and historical presence of Santorini. The village is mostly comprised of traditional cave houses, built using locally developed art of construction, particular to the specific island due to its unique morphology. In refurbishing the houses to create BOUTIQUE STYLE HOTEL CASA SANTORINI, we worked closely with local artisans to fully preserve the houses’ character and the wisdom of this traditional art. Our inspiration came from the phrase “Stay with the locals”.
In cooperation with local technicians, we took advantage of the unique geology –specifically the rocky terrain– to redesign the houses without altering their external form.
All internal spaces were constructed using traditional materials and methodologies –such as lava and volcanic rock. The cave houses internally have the form of tunnels to withstand the forces of nature (i.e. earthquakes). The water storage areas which in the old days collected the rainwater were designed into rooms and the external bathrooms and ovens were connected to the rest of the house, taking advantage of all the natural corners and alcoves which emerged from the walls of the cave house.
An important practical aspect of the art of local building that we retained was the preservation of low temperatures internally in the summer months.
The houses were built in levels. The upper levels have a view to the Aegean Sea, through the blue domes of the churches of the village.
The entrance of each house has been fitted with a Jacuzzi as well as built-in chairs / sofas and dining tables. Moving to the internal space, the differences of each house were preserved, customizing interventions to its own traditional character, and working to improve them. The traditional stone bedroom as well as the narrow stairs that lead to the upper area are from a different era. The front façade and entrance of each cave house was enlarged to allow for more natural light to enter and to facilitate better internal ventilation. A modern iron construction with black glass was developed and put in place to allow for this.
The old water storage area which became a bedroom as well as the old traditional oven which became a bathroom really stand out and made us proud.
Forged cement in different colors was used for most of the internal building, a more modern but widely used and locally perfected method of internal construction, which allows for more fluid structures and design.
Internal design is with furniture and textiles of natural materials, including rugs, old doors on the walls for decoration, baskets, and ceramic elements.
Suppliers & Contributors:
Total area of Cave Houses: 130-150 sqm
Designed in: 2017
Construction: 2018-2020
Internal Design: ANASTASIA FOTIADIS
Design Responsibility: ANASTASIA FOTIADIS
Architectural Design: ANASTASIA FOTIADIS
Lighting: BRIGHT
Forged Cement: ISOMAT
Tiles & Sanitary Items: POURIS BAGNO https://pouris.gr/
Furniture and Decoration: IVY FURNITURE https://ivyhome.gr/
Textiles: NATURAL GREEK FABRICS https://www.naturalgreekfabrics.com/
Outside Furniture: ELECTRA https://www.electra.com.gr/en/
Photographer: https://clearlinephotography.com/
