Konstantinos Stathopoulos | KRAK. architects designed ‘Casa Katana’ taking shape as a crooked line engraved in the southern Cretan landscape, Greece. The synthesis was inspired by the unique morphology of the plot and the particular characteristics of the site; the rock formations, its orientation, the climate conditions, and the sweeping views towards the sea’s blue.

The architects sought to fully integrate the residence into the landscape, leaving untouched the beauty of the plot. The idea was developed and engraved in the plot resembling the mark of a sharp yet gentle cut from a katana sword – thus its name. The movement and sharpness of this crooked archetype take shape in the form of a continuous concrete blade that delimits the borders of the residence and provides a broader view in two basic directions.
All the elements of the composition are constructed in accordance with this carved trace that acts as the backbone of the residence. The components are designed dynamically in concern of the northwest winds that take place in the region and they are sized in a harmonic ratio that provides motion to the whole composition and gives the feeling of a futuristic yet minimal structure. 

Konstantinos Stathopoulos | KRAK. gave an aerodynamic form to the structure as it was sculpted from the local winds, taking a natural inclination towards the east. Casa Katana is carefully placed above the rock formations of t...