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House "O" Bodrum, Turkey
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2007-09-17 16:49:27
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Bodrum in Turkey is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World and birthplace to Herodotus. It is also Turkey’s answer to what
Cannes is for the south of France. So it’s not the kind of place you
want to build a tower block slab bang on the beach.
House ’Ö’
is a building perfectly in tune with its surroundings but still has an
eye on modernising the idea of a country retreat. The ornate mosaic of
heavy stone is a familiar building practice in the Mediterranean, but
the use of large floor to ceiling windows certainly is not.
The building comprises three units joined by glass boxes allowing bags
of sunlight in, but also allows the structure to cool quicker than
houses favouring large swathes of white concrete as a method of
regulating temperature. Inside, there are no separating walls in the
central living area. Instead, furniture positioning and small
partitions create individual spaces within an open whole. A fitting
tribute to cultural and architectural traditions of an area steeped in
history, but a refreshing approach to a home in the hills that isn’t
all bling and dodgy ‘period’ features. By Matt Hussey
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