The Greek village of Oia sits along the northernmost edge ofSantorini, in the south Aegean Sea. Embedded into the cliffside of the island,the village is widely known for its unique location and urban fabric, both ofwhich have made it into a world famous destination. The greater context of Oiaincludes both Santorini island and its neighboring islands, which together wereborn out of a natural disaster; a volcanic eruption taking place during 1500 BC(“Brief History”). To fullyunderstand the form and function of this village in the present day state, itis important to first briefly establish how this ancient event informs thearea’s geography and material limitations. Once a vast volcanic island,Santorini became a hollowed out crater (otherwise called a Caldera) as a resultof the eruption. Mass amounts of magma and pumice were released at once, andthe island’s core sank into the ocean, leaving a crater behind. The surroundingwaters filled up the now hollowed out island produce a natural archipelago. Havingbeen created in this way, Santorini is considered to be one of the world’snatural wonders. Likewise, the architecture of Oia is fairly organic in nature,and has seen more preservation than innovation in the years following itscreation.
Oia’s now iconic stone buildings were originally the productof heavy limitations and natural forces. The village began and developed as aharbour for the island largely throughout the 19th and 20th centuries (“Brief History”). Sailors travelingwithin the Mediterranean trade routes between Russia and Alexandria chose tocreate their settlement here, and the economy of the region boomed thanks tothe resultant importing and exporting. Much of its structure still stands todayas a testament to the work done by the sailors of the past. Upon their arrival,they would create an enclosed system of living quarters that was directlynested into the landscape. These “cave homes” or “yposkafa” (“Traditional Architecture in Santorini”),as they are now commonly known by the locals, were carved into the cliffsideand structurally supported by timber framing. This vernacular was determined inlarge part by the availability of materials on the island, as well as theknowledge that sailors brought with them from abroad.
Firstly, the decision to build their settlement on thecliffside was motivated by the dangers present along the shore. “...old settlements of Santorini...areplaced far from the shore: the fear of pirate assaults forced the locals tosettle on steep cliffs or hidden valleys that offered better defense or wereharder to spot from the sea” (Stasinopoulos, p.1). It may seem paradoxical,but placing these homes on a higher plane was done in the interest of safety.Architects formed a natural defense by using the steep inclines of the landitself to their advantage. When carving out the homes, the primary material ofchoice was also organic. The local stone or volcanic rock was plentiful on theisland and proved to be structurally more sound than other alternatives. Sincethis is a volcanic island, plant-life is not supported very well. It has beendefined as.“...a very dry, wind-sweptvolcanic land hostile to vegetation, especially trees”. (Stasinopoulos,p.3). While sailors were familiar with the value of wood as a structuralmaterial due to their experience with building ships, timber alone was far fromthe most viable option for building homes. Moreover, because workable woodmaterial was not even common on the island to begin with, it would need to beimported and gathered from other islands or from other countries. Transportinggoods over the rugged terrain had its share of difficulties as well. “The major construction difficulty, eventoday, has been the transport of materials over cliffs…” (Stasinopoulos,p.4). Timber was ultimately better off being used as a secondary material. Thiswas not in vain, however. Due to the fact that tremors were a common occurrenceon the volcanic island, Earthquake resistance was an important feature forbuilt structures. In addition to the strength of stone, local builders wereaware that timber framing could bolster the structural stability of their stonehomes, making them even more resistant to potential Earthquakes. “Timber was a material familiar fromship-building...The Therans knew that the incorporation of timber into a stonewall was an excellent earthquake-resistant measure” (Pavylou, p.112).Finally, as part of the process of building stone homes, local volcanic ashknown as “Theran Soil” was used in the place of cement. “The volcano has offered a compensation for the lack of structuraltimber: Theran soil’ a volcanic ash with properties very similar to cement, hadbeen widely used from ancient times to make mortar which was very strong,easily available and cheap” (Stasinopoulos, p. 3). In the end, the earlyarchitects of Santorini employed modest decisions as they adapted to thisenvironment and developed their vernacular.
Climate was also a deciding factor in the creation of thetypical Santorini home, posing further challenges to adapt to. Conditions are “typical of south Aegean region.”(Stasinopoulos, p.2). As part of the south Aegean sea, the islands of Santorinican be classified as having a Mediterranean climate. This means that they experience warm summerswith long periods of sunlight, as well as mild winters and minimalprecipitation overall. Additionally, the rugged, mountainous terrain generatesstrong winds on a yearly basis (“WeatherConditions”). Apart from the aforementioned limitations on plant-basedmaterial, the dry climate of the mediterranean region demanded that peoplerespond to the sun in some way. “Solar radiation is quite intense inSantorini, especially in Summer when clouds disappear for more than twomonths.” (Stasinopoulos, p.4). Windows needed to be kept small and high inorder to offset the interior solar heat gain and radiation of the daylighthours. The white-washed surfaces, covered in plaster, were meant to help reducethe heat gain of the interior spaces by absorbing more heat. Buildings werealso coated with plaster as a way of protecting them from the decay caused bythe local winds and rain. Plaster had an added benefit of letting people knowwhen the material was starting to wear or tear, showing their condition throughthe cracks in the surface. “...coveredwith plaster that protects the joints from the decay caused by wind and rain,offering also a clearly visible clue for cracks” (Stasinopoulos, p. 3).These focused attempts at avoiding the harsh sunlight of the daytime did comewith some disadvantages, however. “...itwas only the dark indoor spaces that were offering comfort in daytime, thanksot their heavy mass and low radiant temperature” (Stasinopoulos, p. 4).Indoor spaces were kept dark and comfortable, but only when it was hot outside.The side-effect is a loss of natural light, as well as less natural ventilationfrom outside. “Lack of heating andlimited ventilation trigger condensation...It is easy to imagine the unhealthyliving conditions under such circumstances…” (Stasinopoulos, p. 5).In more modern times,air conditioning features have been installed into homes “due to ‘demand by visitors’” (Stasinopoulos, p.5), perhaps atestament to the lasting impact of climate over the area.
When observed together, the houses of Oia appear to create adensely packed urban fabric. One of the environmental factors influencing thisinclude the island’s rugged terrain, which meant that there was a shortage ofstable land on which to build. However, communal building is another, non-environmentalmotivation at work. There was a desire to create tightly knit communal space “in the spirit of the old societies”(Stasinopoulos, p.2). This did offer some environmental benefits for neighbors,such as providing mutual protection to one another from wind or rainyconditions. At the same time, architects of the period understood that homesshould not obstruct one another from receiving essential light or ventilation.“When a new house was built among anexisting group of buildings, the architect had to make sure not to cause anyinconvenience to the neighbors...Ample evidence for such ‘rules of goodneighborliness’ exists in the form of narrow alleys and cul-de-sacs”(Palyvou, p.34). While the houses were closely packed together, proper spacefor these necessities was allowed between them. Those spaces became the manynarrow streets and alleyways that work to define the pedestrian circulation ofOia.
In a typical site plan for Akrotiri, another village thatwas built on the same island, locals would build a central road that branchesoff into different pockets of the village along the trail. Streets were said tohave been designed along “the contours ofthe land, bypass difficult or dangerous points, and exploit natural passages”.(Palyvou, p.29). Creating a network of streets that tied everything in thevillage together is something that can be found in the urban fabric of Oiatoday. In this case, that central road is called Nikolaou Nomikou, around whichall other streets in the village, secondary or tertiary, branch off. Startingfrom the easternmost corner to the west, Nikolaou Nomikou cuts through theentirety of the village as the one and only paved street. Made entirely out offlat stone, it offers great walkability for visitors and locals alike. Forthese factors and its connection to the rest of the village, Nikolaou Nomikouis the primary location for Oia’s pedestrian circulation, with streetsidemarkets and restaurants having been built to draw attention along the way. AsOia has turned into a popular tourist site, this street has become the busiestand most active location.
In addition to the flat, paved passage of Nikolaou Nomikou,small public plazas open up along the street at the east and west ends. Thestreet begins to the west with St. Giorgios Oia Holy Orthodox Church, and opensup again to the east at the Church of Panagia. This street's relationship tothe local churches in general is significant both historically andarchitecturally. By positioning each of them as prominent parts of thecommunity, they remain set apart from the densely packed houses, creating akind of hierarchy between them. By allowing both the buildings to breathe withmore public space, it invites people to visit and do the same. The churchplazas stand out as more walkable and significant places to gather than therest of the village. These breaks are also signified by the architecture of thebuildings, which is more ornate than the sailors' houses. “...These are glorious monasteries that are notable for their size,grand cathedrals with admirable frescoes, simple churches and tinychapels...The majority is white edifices with white or blue domes...arches andbell towers, some of which are really elaborate” (“Traditional Architecture inSantorini”). These were perhaps the more celebrated parts of the island,highly decorative and making themselves known. The blue domes can be thought ofas wayfinders, towering over the village and making the churches stand out at adistance.
Walkability is also found in the construction of thebuildings and its many flights of stairs. “Dueto the steep ground, a vertical urban layout has been developed: the top of ahouse is frequently the veranda of the one above - or perhaps a public street.”(Stasinopoulos, p.4). As the buildings are stacked together on an incline, thebuildings themselves begin to resemble staircases nested into the landscape.The rooftops of buildings become like occupiable space in addition to pathwaysthat take you from one place to the next.
The Greek village of Oia has long since made its place inhistory as a natural marvel. However, while most understand the region today asan attractive and vibrant tourist attraction, beneath that lies a rich andimpressive architectural history. Travelers who developed the village incenturies past needed to adapt to what was a difficult environment, and theywere able to respond to it with the best tools available at their disposal.Using local materials and protecting themselves from the circumstances of theirtime, they constructed a unique urban fabric that was capable of supporting community development.
Research Sources ~
Palyvou, Clairy. “AkrotiriThera: An Architecture of Affluence 3,500 Years Old”. INSTAP AcademicPress, 2005. (https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt3fgvrh.)
Stasinopoulos, Thanos N. “TheFour Elements of Santorini Architecture”. 2006. (https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt3fgvrh.)
Paraskevi, Nomikou. Konstantinos, Vouvalidis. Spyros,Pavlides. “The Morphodynamic Evolution ofSantorini Volcanic Complex”. 2019. (http://www.geomorph.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Santorini-Field-Trip-September-2019_RCG.pdf)
Santorini.com. SANTORINI WEB PORTALS. 2021.
“Brief History” (https://www.santorini.com/santorini/history.html)
“Weather Conditions”(https://www.santorini.com/santorini/weather.html)
“Traditional Architecture inSantorini Culture” Santorini-View.com.(https://www.santorini-view.com/traditional-architecture/) 2021.
“SantoriniOia Greece”. Greeka.com (https://www.greeka.com/cyclades/santorini/villages/oia/) 2021.
“Fira or Oia - Where to Stay”. Santorinidave.com. (https://santorinidave.com/oia-or-fira) 2021.
