Panorama Villa: A Homage to Mani's Historic Architecture

Potiropoulos and Partners' Award-Winning Design Blends Tradition and Innovation

Potiropoulos and Partners drew inspiration from the stone tower houses of Mani, Greece. The design principles revolve around how light encompasses and underlines the clean, cut geometry and rugged texture of the stony forms. The Villa is part of Navarino Residences, a collection of luxury villas at the heart of Navarino Dunes resort at Costa Navarino, a prime sustainable destination in the Mediterranean.

The Villa's unique properties lie in its configuration, conceived as a series of individual stone fragments revolving around the atrium and main living spaces. The volumes of the residence open a dialogue with their natural surroundings, while the rhythm of their openings either ensures privacy or invites in panoramic views of the horizon. The rigorous design follows the ongoing dialog between the building and the landscape, providing its interior with different viewings and spatial qualities.

Stone is the prominent construction material, comprising the monolithic building envelope while selectively entering its interior. The totality of stone is interrupted by openings that are organically distributed around the building, hinting at cherished impressions of the traditional architecture of the region. Corten is the second most important material of the project, used not only for the pergolas and perforated panels, but also the openings and window profiles.

The design unfolds itself in three levels (basement, ground floor, first floor), five distinct volumes and their additional connecting levels, all gravitating around the main atrium of the residence. The main access to the building is a varied path through the garden, paved with a succession of hard and permeable surfaces. There is an additional pedestrian access on the southern side through a staircase that connects the street-level to different patios with varying uses.

The design faced the challenge of creating a building that is contemporary, yet sensitive to its historic and natural context. The purposeful use of stone throughout the building intends to describe a fragment of earth resting on firm ground, offering a variety of astonishing experiences of memory and light. The creation of this form-base dynamic perceives the building as an integral part of the panoramic landscape, on both pragmatic and semiological levels.

The Panorama Villa was awarded Silver in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2020. The award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.