Magma White

Santorini 

Magma White is the architectural reworking of a pre-existing residence on the quiet side of Santorini. Originally built during the early 2000s construction boom, the structure reflected the era’s reliance on mimicry rather than design, with a fragmented layout and no clear spatial hierarchy. Instead of erasing these conditions, KKMK Architects, Marina Karamali and Kate Karagianni, chose to engage them directly.

The project began with the existing skeleton and unfolded as an act of transformation through geometry, material, and spatial rhythm. A new geometric system was introduced, overlaid onto the irregular footprint to bring order and direction. The architects wrapped the building in layers of local stone, which both clarified the spatial organization and masked structural inconsistencies.

This wrapping redefined circulation, enclosed programmatic zones, and opened carefully framed views, without denying the structure’s origins. Geometry here is not aesthetic, it is operative. At the center of the composition sits a linear pool. Positioned with a deliberate offset, it aligns the interior axes with the horizon and reconciles prior asymmetries in plan.

Project details

Architectural design: ΚΚΜΚ Architects

Photography: Yiorgis Yerolymbos