26 DIGS.NET | 3.24.23
P R O F I L E | K R A K . A R C H I T E C T S
THE
CUTTING EDGE
On the Greek island of Crete, in its splendid south,
KRAK. Architects puts a conceptual subterranean house to the sword.
W O R D S : J E N N T H O R N T O N
P H O T O S : © K O N S T A N T I N O S S T A T H O P O U L O S | K R A K . A R C H I T E C T S
slice in the earth so precise,
as if rendered by blade—a
single-edge Japanese katana
sword, in particular—marks
a highly conceptual residential design by
Konstantinos Stathopoulos of Greece-based
KRAK. Architects. Named for the instrument's
sharp yet gentile cut, the leisure residence
Casa Katana pierces the senses almost
immediately, a sleek, ultramodern outlier in
an ancient landscape in southern Crete. But in
fact, this architectural experiment is integrated
into the terrain, minimizing visual disturbance
to the site and leaving its beauty unspoiled.
The subterranean dwelling is sympathetically
situated to its mythic surround. How could it
be otherwise? The birthplace of the divine
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