Muses

A summer house – for whom?
This question was on the base of the design process. The feeling and understanding of the site made me realise that this place is not ordinary. It offers a lot and is too beautiful only to be occupied privately by a few and on the other hand he is too isolated to be primarily public. The beauty of the landscape let you think of gods and heroic stories.

A House for the Muses
The nine muses inspire and teach at the same time. They are close to nature and archaic, beautiful and humble,
mentally and spiritually. I imagined to design a house for these creatures. If it is now inhabited by themselves or even nine mortals. The building is supposed to be a shelter offering protection from the elements. At the same time a variety of private and communal rooms should arise, which are relating strongly to nature.
The result shall be a place of culture and inspiration.

Concept
Close to nature, archaic, beautiful, modest, intellectual and spiritual. The attributes of the muses are transferred to the house. It is singlestorey and nestles on the shallow rising coast. The proportions of old hydriotic mansions are taken as a basis for the large central garden and the adjacent rooms. The walls radiate outwards from there until they hit the perimeter wall. Nine different private sleeping and working rooms are created by a simple roof and floor construction and the insertion of windows and doors. The remaining rooms remain open at the top and form various gardens and courtyards. The central garden is lined with a shady pergola. Next to it are the
spacious communal kitchen and the hammam with swimming pool and latrine area. Diverse visual relationships and the labyrinthine network of paths create a varied counterpart of private and community.

Construction
A simple and archaic design shapes the House of the Muses. Plaster stone walls with a thickness of 50 cm are forming the basic grid of the house.
The topography of the slope remains untouched. Where a flat surface is needed, a construction out of rough stones and wood slats is used. The roofs of the individual rooms follow as well as the walls the slope inclination and therefore form naturally a pent roof.
Wooden rafters with overlying battens and counter battens are covered with red ceramic tiles in 10x10cm. The gutters disappear within the thickness of the wall. The result are scarcely visible red roofs, which are blending in with the abstract white walls and the strong green of the lush vegetation.