46 DIGS.NET
| 3.24.23
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P R O F I L E | K R A K . A R C H I T E C T S
light, there is freedom. The underground
house ultimately lives en plein air.
At its core, the concept is an interaction
between site and surround, shadows and
light, the built environment and the natural
world. It also addresses the core challenge
of the architect, which is, as Stathopoulos
defines it, "to design a residence that
combines reason and dream." A residence,
he argues, "must possess the functional
character according to the rules of building
and bioclimatic design, but at the same
time must be able to speak to the human
soul." Casa Katana is intensely sympathetic
to this idea, an expression of living in
appreciation of an elegant and immense
beauty. But what are words when such an
architecture leaves one speechless.
@krakarchitects | krak.gr
underground, the dwelling offers
inhabitants what Stathopoulos calls "a
cave sense," but not, thankfully, its
claustrophobia. Quite the opposite, in fact.
While protected, the interior is airy, ribboned
in sunlight and immersed in visions of
blue—sea, sky, and a sparkling infinity
pool that runs lengthwise across the edge
of house and wraps one corner in a swift,
razor-sharp turn. "Since the Cretan climate
promotes outdoor living," Stathopoulos
explains, "a large part of the house is
dedicated to the outdoor and semi-outdoor
spaces in an open layout." Exaggerated
walls of glass are used to create a dramatic
outdoor transition, availing the interior of
panoramas in perpetuity, with elaborate
overhangs providing shelter and discretion.
Striving for discovery through a series of
reveals, the interior approaches space as
sanctuary, with each room a safe harbor,
a stop of time, an interlude with immensity.
It is an arrangement made all the more
breath-taking for its strategically placed
liberations. In the inhabitants' search for
