Patitiri House, a “winepress” as a contemporary retreat

Once used for the traditional winemaking process through the treading of grapes, Patitiri House is now a seaside home, without losing its original soul. The architecture studio ARP – Architecture Research Practice respects the idiosyncratic character of the building and, despite the absence of any official heritage protection, approaches it as a restoration project. Its status as a local landmark and the role it plays in the island’s collective memory guided the conservative approach adopted for the house.

An architecture rooted in collective memory

Built between 1933 and 1936 along the shore of the island of Antiparos, this stone building tells an ancient story. Its name, which in Greek means “wine press,” is more than a linguistic trace: this was once a place where people gathered to practice the traditional winemaking process, walking barefoot on grape clusters placed in vats to release their juice and begin fermentation. This intertwining of historical memory and the deep bond between land, labor, and culture guided the intervention by ARP – Architecture Research Practice, commissioned to transform the “press” into a contemporary retreat.

The exterior remains intact, almost frozen in time: the exposed stone walls have been restored and re-pointed where necessary, while outdoor interventions are reduced to a few carefully calibrated gestures. A reclaimed marble sink on the exterior counter and a custom-designed marble table engage in dialogue with the seascape. Even the color of the shutters, now a light blue, reinforces the building’s sense of belonging to the island context.

Essential interiors in dialogue with the Greek landscape

As with the exterior, the interior preserves the existing materials, while introducing white-painted solid oak wood and marble sourced from a nearby island. Small, targeted—almost surgical—interventions were carried out to improve the home’s functionality without altering its overall balance. The reorganization of the bathrooms and kitchen now responds to contemporary needs, within a space where vernacular aesthetics meet clean, measured lines.

This balance exemplifies the philosophy of ARP – Architecture Research Practice, an Athens-based studio founded in 2014 by Argyro Pouliovali. Their work, spanning architecture and custom-made furnishings, is grounded in a simple yet radical idea: enabling people to live well, in harmony with their environment. Light, flow, and proportions become the primary design tools, always filtered through a careful reading of place. For Patitiri House, the studio adopted a combination of natural and local materials, creating a balance between past and present that is reflected in every architectural detail and piece of furniture.

In Patitiri House, where grapes were once trodden barefoot, life today unfolds facing the sea, carrying with it the light weight of memory.

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