On the…
shoreline of Antiparos, where the Cycladic light meets the Aegean in a steady, silvery rhythm, a low stone structure sits almost exactly as it has for nearly a century. Known as Patitiri House, this beachfront residence was once a working winepress—an everyday building shaped by agriculture, community, and ritual rather than leisure. Today, it has been carefully transformed into a private summer home by ARP – Architecture Research Practice, without severing its connection to the island’s history and memory.
The word…
patitiri means “winepress” in Greek, and the name is literal. Built between 1933 and 1936, the structure originally hosted the traditional process of wine-making, where grapes were stomped by foot in vats to release their juice. This activity was not merely productive but social: a gathering point where labor and celebration overlapped. The site itself carries a deeper timeline—archaeological traces found in the surrounding sea indicate that vine cultivation in this area dates back to antiquity. Long before tourism shaped Antiparos of today.
When ARP…
was commissioned to adapt the building, the architects made an early and defining choice: to treat the project as a restoration rather than a reinvention. Although the structure has no official heritage protection, its status as a local landmark—and its familiarity to generations of island residents—demanded restraint. The exterior was therefore left fundamentally untouched. Its stone envelope remains intact, with walls carefully restored and regrouted where time had taken its toll. The building still reads as it always has: modest, grounded, and inseparable from its setting.
Changes to…
the exterior were minimal and deliberate. A reclaimed marble sink was added to an outdoor counter, reinforcing the informal, utilitarian logic of the original structure. Nearby, a custom-designed marble table carved from Dionysos marble introduces a sense of permanence rather than decoration. Even the shutters—once painted a dark brown—were not replaced but simply repainted in a pale blue, a subtle gesture that responds to the sea without becoming literal or nostalgic.
Inside…
the approach was equally measured. Rather than stripping the building back or overlaying it with a new identity, ARP worked with what was there. Existing materials were preserved wherever possible, while new additions were drawn from a local palette: white-painted solid oak and marble from Naxos, the neighboring island. These choices root the interior firmly within the Cyclades, but their application is precise and contemporary.
The spatial…
strategy has been described by the architects as “acupuncture”—small, targeted interventions designed to unlock the building’s full potential. Instead of reconfiguring the entire plan, ARP focused on areas where functionality could be most improved. Bathrooms were repositioned and refined, and kitchen cabinetry was redesigned to better serve daily use, all without disrupting the building’s original logic. The result is a home that feels intuitive rather than imposed, where circulation and use flow naturally from one space to the next.
What defines…
Patitiri House is not contrast but continuity. Clean lines coexist with irregular stone; contemporary fittings sit comfortably alongside surfaces shaped by decades of wear. The dialogue between old and new is calm and assured, avoiding both sentimentality and stark minimalism. This balance reflects ARP’s broader philosophy—one that favors light, proportion, and atmosphere over overt gestures.
Founded in…
Athens in 2014 by Argyro Pouliovali, ARP – Architecture Research Practice has built a body of work that spans residential, hospitality, cultural projects, and custom-designed objects. The studio’s process is rooted in close observation of place, distilling complex contextual conditions into clear architectural responses. In Patitiri House, that approach manifests as an almost invisible architecture—one that allows the building’s past to remain legible while quietly supporting contemporary life.
Today…
Patitiri House stands as a rare kind of beachfront retreat. It does not attempt to escape history or overwrite it. Instead, it offers a way of inhabiting the present while remaining deeply, respectfully anchored in the rhythms and stories of Antiparos itself.
Tap the look…
Architecture & Design: ARP- Architecture Research Practice
Construction & Management: Panayiotis Xymitiris
Suppliers: Textures and Tiles, Delta Marbles, PAFOS
Photography: Giulio Ghirardi
