PROTON

Description

Situated in Engomi an urban area in Nicosia Cyprus, the promising Architect Constantinos Kalisperas completed PROTON, a three storey building that consists of three spacious single floor apartments overlooking an intriguing park proposed by the Architect. The glass, steel, white concrete building with the clean organic curved lines that allow “light” to be the primary focus, is a surprise in it self!
The building rises above ground allowing the surrounding topography to interconnect within the proposed boundaries. Unifying and repositioning the buildings essence within the broader urban fabric and the proposed park across and through the building.     
The projection of internal space above and across the park connects private and public, erasing the transitional boundaries that define the programmatic use of each sector of the building.
The uninterrupted view brings the colors of the exterior environment into the apartments.  When all sliding glazed doors of the living room open the terrace and the living area unite creating one spacious area with views to the outside. The façade “opens up” revealing its internal programmatic qualities to the outside, reversing the process and allowing the city to look in.
Internally the “edges” that define ceiling, floors and walls, dissolve into the “pure white”, were the material palette of the house is reduced to emphasize the lightness of the rooms.  Local material such as wood and bronze is carefully used to soften and reveal specific programmatic uses within the “white space”.
On the south west of the building the impressive organic curved shape that accommodates the staircase and part of the kitchen, bathrooms is carefully designed to integrate natural light into specific areas throughout. Light is used as a tool that re-animates the morphological and programmatic qualities of the building.
The small openings act like a collective “camera” framing views and actions of the surroundings were the inhabitant becomes the observer.
An organic white concrete staircase with a sculpture-like form becomes the “spine” of the building and instigates a vertical relationship between the internal horizontal levels.
On the ground floor sculptures designed by local artist Nicos Kouroussis interact with water elements in order to soften the sharp edges providing a flowing effect both programmatically and spatially.  On the south side, 1 ½ meters below ground level, screened from the vehicular noise, is the pool area creating a form of unity and interaction between the three occupants.   
The glass panels of the east facade were the bedrooms are situated are carefully placed combining clarity and obscurity were needed, protecting the interior from the outside “noise” but allowing at the same time maximum light into the rooms.

105 pages, color ills / 22 x 22 cm / English