Dunes/Caves : a theoretical framework

...as architects reinterpret” , for the 11th Venice Bienalle of Architecture, under the title “Out there: Architecture Beyond Building”.The competition was held in July 2008, and it has been curated by sir Peter Cook. The official homepage of the international competition, as well as the Cyprus' national competition, featuring all winning projects, is www.relaxincyprus.org. The project of Konstantinos Poulopoulos was exhibited among the winning projects at the Cyprus' Pavilion during the Bienalle.

Modern culture has been systematically ignoring context, by carelessly  and selfishly exploiting nature, and liquidizing natural capital for the  organization, making and maintenance of the human realm ; the city.

Such a departure from the symbiotic origin of man and nature has proved to be devastating ; severe deterioration of the landscapes, ecological imbalance  reaching as far as  climatic change; a disproportionate human footprint on the planet. From a philosophical and psychological standpoint, the urbanization of the planet, even far beyond the extents of what has traditionally been understood as the city (e.g. as far as the beach), comes to validate the age-old idea that man-made world is different – and worse – than the natural.

From an economic point of view, the hard-core exploitation of natural resources , coupled with the careless management of the landscapes challenges the sustainability of societies. The risk is greater for societies whose economies are based on the quality of the environment, on natural beauty, on history and culture, in other words, for tourism-based economies.
Such societies need to develop policies and agendas that will nurture a environmentally-friendly urban scape and landscape management.

Within the aforementioned context, the project ”Caves/ Dunes” seeks to investigate the chances for integration of nature and culture into an inseparable whole.
The case scenario here is the habitation of a deserted beach near Akrotiri, in South Cyprus, is such a way where  human provisions are made for the users (private and social shade, WC, canteen) ,without, however, compromising the landscape, its beauty and its genius loci (sand dunes, the feeling of waving motion).

This is possible through the invention of an undulating semi-artificial, semi-natural surface, that provides  a minimal, camouflaged shelter from the hard Cypriot sun.  Each of these caves is constructed by prefabricated concrete elements that can be easily assembled in-situ (4 pieces) . They can as easily be taken away, without any trace of construction left. Sand is covering the caves creating a uniform appearance , resembling the original state of the sand dunes.

The use of this beach should feel like people are beach termites that disappear and reappear in the sun.