AMORGINA, Amorgos
A Contemporary Reinterpretation of Cycladic Architecture
Amorgos, the island that inspired the poet Nikos Gatsos, remains to this day a place of singular beauty, authenticity and natural character. A landscape where nature and architecture coexist in harmony, preserving over time a distinctive identity and an unmistakably Greek character.
It is within this unique setting that AMORGINA takes shape, a hospitality complex designed by architect Thodoris Zoumboulakis (Zoumboulakis Architects), in collaboration with the project’s partners. The design is driven by the ambition to integrate organically into the landscape while proposing a contemporary architectural expression in dialogue with the traditions and characteristics of the place.
The architectural composition is based on a contemporary reinterpretation of key elements of Cycladic architecture. Clean geometric volumes, restrained proportions, the careful handling of light and a close relationship with the ground come together to form an ensemble that belongs to its setting without attempting to imitate it.
The starting point for the composition was the geomorphology of the site itself. The neighbouring dry-stone walls, a defining feature of the Amorgian landscape, were extended and reinterpreted to become the generative structure of the architectural composition. Two neighbouring houses, designed approximately twenty years ago by the same practice, had already explored this principle: dry-stone walls were raised to pass through the buildings, shaping and organising their floor plans. This approach became the underlying concept for the extension of the new architectural composition.
Dry-stone construction therefore occupies a central role in the project. Its extensive use strengthens the natural integration of the complex into the terrain while helping to reduce the perceived visual scale of the built volumes. The interplay between stone masonry and white surfaces creates a composition of strong plasticity and variety, while the stone elements of the buildings appear as a natural continuation of the surrounding landscape interventions.
The variation in colour of the timber window and door frames draws upon the rich chromatic diversity of Amorgos’ traditional settlements, introducing subtle variations within an otherwise restrained architectural palette.
The Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa also served as an important source of inspiration for the project’s architectural expression. Perched dramatically against the rock, the monastery has inspired numerous architects over time, including Le Corbusier, particularly in relation to his design of the Ronchamp chapel in 1955. Its unique dialogue with the rock, the scale of its openings, its inclined walls and the sense of protection it conveys inform several aspects of the composition, particularly the central building and its surrounding outdoor spaces.
AMORGINA occupies a ten-stremma seaside site within the sheltered bay of Nikouria. The complex comprises sixteen accommodation units, including ten apartments and six junior suites. Each unit features a private outdoor space with unobstructed views towards the Aegean Sea and the sunset.
At the heart of the composition, a 25-metre-long infinity pool is positioned as an intermediate level between the architecture and the sea, extending the visual continuity of the project towards the horizon. The restaurant is situated above the pool, in direct connection with both the interior and exterior spaces.
The entire complex is conceived as a continuous experience in which architecture, landscape and everyday life meet and naturally extend into one another.
AMORGINA ultimately proposes a contemporary reading of Amorgos’ architectural identity. The morphological references and principles of the local architecture are reinterpreted through a contemporary architectural language, deeply rooted in the site and in the landscape of the Aegean.
