Greek studio Kapsimalis Architects updated a sequence of cave-like subterranean spaces and vaulted rooms in this holiday home on the island of Santorini.
The house is located in the village of Imerovigli, close to Greek isle's capital Fira. Its position on a south-facing clifftop provides expansive views of the Aegean Sea and the rest of the island.

The studio reworked existing amorphous cave rooms that extend back into the hillside with a sequence that culminates in a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom and wet room.
The original property was comprised of several distinct parts, including the main house, a former warehouse submerged in the volcanic earth, and a pair of outhouses containing a bakehouse and toilets.

The modernisation project overseen by Kapsimalis Architects focused on retaining the outer form of the building, while reconstructing the smaller outhouses and simplifying the complex interior layout. "The main idea of the proposal was to maintain the existing traditional architectural forms of the exterior, and to show up the diversity and the values of their interior spaces," the architects explained.

The reconfigured interior contains several bedrooms distributed throughout the main house and former storage spaces, which are connected to living areas that open onto terraces and a small patio.
A prominent new staircase forms a spine that extends from the top of the house down towards terraces containing three pools of different shapes. These outdo...