There are few who haven’t drooled over images of whitewashed stone walls, tumbling cliffs, wide, arched openings and courtyard dining scenes centred around a gnarled olive tree. Our obsession with Mediterranean architecture and interiors is stronger than ever. But what do we, in the colder, wetter or more densely urbanised parts of the world, have to gain from adopting this sun-soaked region’s aesthetics?
As with any vernacular, architecture and interiors along the Mediterranean Sea are the result of environmental and cultural factors, rather than aesthetic predilection. This is important to note. One mock-Tuscan housing development in Midrand (or 100, for that matter) does not a convincing Mediterranean villa make.
A couple of spaces, books and accounts that make us want to give up our citizenship and head to the Med, or, at the very least decamp there for an extended break.
Spaces:
The Rooster, Antiparos, Greece
@seeladanse, a visual feast of Mediterranean living
Casas Caiadas Boutique Home and Open House, Alentejo, Portugal
Masseria Moroseta and Villa Castelluccio, Puglia, Italy, both designed by Andrew Trotter
Torre Vedra, Ibiza, Spain, designed by Hubert Zandberg
Books:
The New Mediterranean: Homes and Interiors Under the Southern Sun (2019) and The Mediterranean Home: Residential Architecture and Interiors with a Southern Touch (2022), both by Gestalten
How it relates to South Africa
We’ve seen our fair share of mock Mediterranean villas and complexes in South Africa, all in an attempt to import the style and apply it to entirely unrelated environments. But the principles of this design do have a place here, not least because of our climate. Applying local craft techniques and honest materials, as well as adopting a simpler design philosophy centred around natural light, volume, air flow and the view, makes sense here. As does heat management in the form of overhangs, inner courtyards, external passages, or thicker walls.
The Mediterranean is a far-reaching region, spanning approximately 4 000km, three continents and 23 countries whose aesthetics can vary drastically from Italian farmhouses to Moroccan riad. So, what unites it all?
Honouring craft: From pottery and weaving to plasterwork, countries in the Med have rich and well-established ties to crafts that go back thousands of years. Esparto-grass weaving, encaustic and mosaic tiles, raffia and pottery are all art forms with deep roots along the Med and the imperfections of these handmade products are part of their appeal.
Natural materials: The aforementioned crafts rely on obtainable materials in a given context. Stone, for example, is used widely owing to its availability in these rocky regions. Limewash rather than paint is used to coat walls as it reflects heat and deters mould and bacteria, and terracotta is often seen on roofs thanks to its thermal efficiency, trapping both cool and warm air seasonally.
Outdoor connection: While the protected inner courtyard brings light and ventilation to adjacent rooms in the hot months, the terrace is often set deep beneath an overhang to provide a shaded spot to gather outdoors. These spaces tend to be tiled and replace grassy lawns with potted plants.
Pared-back form: There’s a less-is-more language to Mediterranean architecture, where simplicity rules. Intended to take little away from the surroundings and view, these less-complex forms convey a sense of purity and calm.