Fysika — Beneath the Earth
A subterranean house in Sifnos replaces an existing stone retaining wall to disappear into the island’s agricultural terraces
The name Φυσικά or Fysika is rooted in the Greek φύσι(ς) (fýsi) — nature — and evokes the project’s deeper intention: to preserve the natural site, while also designating the nature of a thing, its essence. The project seeks to bring forth the nature of the place and immerse us in its essence. The site recalls landscapes structured by agricultural terraces and retaining walls typical of the Cyclades: both wild and mastered, since without these terraces, little vegetation could survive.
From this intention emerged the idea of inhabiting the existing retaining walls through minimal transformation. One stone retaining wall is replaced by the new building, which develops beneath the earth. The project seeks an invisible construction, protected by existing walls and terraces. It respects and reinforces the landscape, while taking advantage of natural protection against heat.
At the foot of an old shepherd’s hut, a staircase opens and descends beneath the earth. As we go down, we embrace the mystery — the spaces to come cannot be guessed. We enter another world, under the coolness of the earth and sheltered from the Cycladic sun, until a stone space opens before us, facing the sea. Beneath the surface, the space unfolds as galleries excavated like a quarry, through masses of stone supporting the concrete slab and earth above. These blocks contain servant spaces and allow the main space to develop without interruption. The masses may seem arbitrary, but create desire and guide us toward openings onto the islands on the horizon. Anchored in the ground, the building offers the conditions for experiencing the view.
The raw, mineral materiality — stone and concrete — is balanced by oak wood in the joinery and furniture. Among the masses, spaces of pure geometry and symmetry emerge. Patios and skylights pierce the mineral roof to draw daylight deeper into the spaces, creating moments of calm and contemplation: a square patio, circular openings onto the sky, a water basin reflecting sunlight onto the ceiling, olive branches trembling in the air currents.
Stone and raw concrete provide thermal inertia, preserving the night’s coolness throughout the day. Patios create natural air currents. The façade develops in depth to keep the sun and overheating at a distance; this recess creates private outdoor spaces for each bedroom. Communal outdoor spaces extend lengthwise, like the agricultural terraces of the Cyclades; their slenderness allows for a direct relationship with view and nature.
From afar, only the white shepherd’s hut remains visible.
It is a project of desire. Beneath the earth, protected, it is a place that does not reveal itself easily. The eye constantly tries to guess what lies behind each of the stone masses it encounters; the project therefore remains silently wrapped in mystery. The boundaries between interior and exterior are blurred. One can never truly anticipate the form of the next space, nor the light it will hold at different moments of the day. I believe one eventually falls into the contemplation of these lights, spreading in ever-changing ways through the calm of the spaces, as if they were responding to the infinite variations of light on the sea before us. I hope that there, one is more present than usual, in the moment.
Alexandre Pavlidis
