Studio VAARO

HOUSE LIGHT

CYPRUS (Competition Entry)

Lighthouses worldwide are known for their robust construction, functional design and iconic form. On the one hand they represent safety and strength; on the other, they have a subtle domestic quality as the lighthouse keeper typically lives within or next to the lighthouse. By inverting the proportions of typical lighthouse elements--the light and the house--our proposal takes a playful approach to draw attention to lighthouses’ functional domesticity. This unconventional lighthouse functions not only as a beacon on both sea and land, but also as a 24-hour publicly accessible community space on the beach.

The concrete house shell, measuring 11x10x10m, and the lighting tower draw inspiration for their articulation and texturing from the language of the fresnel lens, traditionally used to illuminate lighthouses. As a site-specific intervention, sand from the beach would be used as the “lost form-work” to cast the concrete.

The lighting equipment is easily accessible for maintenance and the design is flexible enough to be located anywhere along Geroskipou Beach.

Team: Aleris Rodgers, Francesco Valente-Gorjup