Residence 401

Made to measure. Context, if one puts the client and the architect aside for a minute, tends to influence design a great deal. The 401 Residence is most definitely a case in point. Not only does the particular geometry of the triangular site lead to a triangular plan, this is then developed and followed through so that the object itself reads as a series of triangular and simply angular events. Furthermore, the design is such that it allows for a strong focus on the main feature within the surroundings, the artificial lake of Magkli, next to the Pedieos riverbed. An entire façade opens on to this element, allowing the interior to drink deeply of this unusual feature, within the parched Cypriot landscape. The swimming pool provides a further tie within this scenario. Crisply formed geometries are a main feature. The varied materials in which they are formed are set in simple contrast to each other. Exposed concrete texture contrasting to angular glazing and smooth, rendered surfaces. The certainty with which the geometries of the design are implemented is rendered evident at the very apex of the design, where, very much like Michelangelo’s renowned encounter between God and Adam, the two sides of the triangular prism do not quite touch. Confidence is in allowing this to occur, or not, as the case may be.