Envisioned for the coastal town of Limassol in Cyprus, a wild apartment tower concept has round swimming pools sprouting almost organically from the facade on all sides. Developed by the French firm Hamonic + Masson, the Limassol Tower grants every unit in the building its own private pool.

Clusters of platforms and sun shades at ground level continue the pattern, so that from above, the complex looks like a colony of spores or mushrooms (or maybe a juggling act of dinner plates that’s dangerously close to crashing to the ground?)

“The volume’s transparency means unobstructed sea views are maximized. A sliding glass door is the only element separating living areas from the balconies, meaning the feeling of being outside is possible simply by opening the window. On the ground floor a regal entrance opens the doors to a unique living experience.”

“We seek to enhance quality of living by offering a range of amenities: an underground fitness zone illuminated by natural sunlight, an art gallery on the ground floor and a premium spa on the first floor, all with independent entrances. Wellbeing and luxury combine to create an exclusive living experience.”

The architects say they wanted to capture the “natural splendor” of the environment with their design. Rising about 180 feet into the air, the building features 19 luxury apartments, some with views of the sea.

Few people would argue with the allure of having your very own private swimming pool just outside your door, but one wonders how the engineering of this structure would actually play out. Is this a realistic concept that could actually be built, or yet another fantasy project that just doesn’t translate into real life? Feel free to chime in if you know. It’s certainly an interesting departure from the standard seaside apartment building, at least.

What appears, from a distance, to be a slice of land levitating above the hills of Santorini, Greece is actually an incredible modern home set on a lower level that acts like a mirrored plinth. Living greenery emerges from the roof, and the upper level bears the striations found in cross-sections of excavated earth. What must observers think of it as they approach, squinting at it in disbelief?

This unusual residence is just the latest modern wonder created by the firm Kapsimalis Architects. Located within a vineyard facing the Mediterranean Sea with views of the island’s capital city of Fira, the surreal structure pays tribute to its location with its highly unusual cave-inspired design.

Within that mirrored ground floor are the living and dining rooms, kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom, while the earthen level hosts an attic, office and terraces overlooking the spectacular setting. It’s almost like the architects magically inverted the earth and sky, since the open-plan lower level enjoys panoramic views of the outdoors through its one-way mirrored facade but feels like it’s underground thanks to the thick, heavy volume above it.

“The rough volcanic landscape, the intense alternations of the scenery, the diversity of the materials, the former architecture and the changeable weather conditions have a huge effect in our designing process. We consider that each architectural solution is related to the surrounding and is formed by it in a harmonious or a conflicting or in a totally seperate way. The differnt features and challenges of the place is the spark that leads each time to diverse architectural forms.”

“We are interested in how buildings could become integral parts of the landscape. Apart from the forms and how could be developed on each place, equally compelling is how the use of each building contribute to the environment itself. We seek for the values and the customs , the old aesthetics and the pre-existing memories of each place in order to show them up in a modern twist. Wishes and hidden desires of the future users are mixed with project’s background in search of a new perception of the space.”

Other works by the firm include hotels camouflaged within sandy hillsides, monumental concrete homes, sensitive adaptations of Greek ruins and other structures that play upon the region’s natural textures and shapes as well as the island nation’s vernacular architecture.

via Designboom

The grim reaper lurks, one man steps on another’s head, crowds cling precariously to window ledges and the people begin to revolt in a series of hacked Euro bank notes by artist Stefanos. The simple images, inked onto the currency, make a statement on the current social and economic stability in the artist’s home country of Greece.

“Observing the Euro banknote landscapes one notices a lack of any reality, whatsoever for the last five years the crumbling Greek economy has hatched violence and social decay – so, I decided to fuse these two things. Through hacking the banknotes I’m using a European a document [sic], that is in cross-border circulation, including Greece – thus, the medium allows me to ‘bomb’ public property from the comfort of my home. In working with currency in my job as a customer service agent at Danish lender Sambla, I’ve come to see the everyday impact that banknotes and money in general can have on society. It’s why I work in the financial services industry and why I bring my experiences in my day to day call center job into my artwork.”

The drawings make use of the existing imagery on the currency, including recognizable ancient Greek monuments, ornate Gothic windows, modern architecture and aqueducts. Just the slightest marking on a bill can completely change one’s perception of the printed imagery.

See more currency art, including defaced U.S. dollars featuring pop culture icons, portraits made of shredded cash and money origami.

Remains of everything from an island prison that once held mafia bosses to the shells of modern Greek villas that fell victim to economic strife bake under the hot sun in the nations situated around and within the Mediterranean Sea. Some of these modern additions to all of the ancient ruins, like the resort town of Varosha or the medieval village of Anavatos, fell victim to bloody wars, while others continue the same old sad storyline heard around the world of riches gained and lost.

Abandoned Resort Town of Varosha, Cyprus

(images vía: pablo fj, klearchos, sometimes-interesting)

Once a playground for the rich and famous, where stars like Elizabeth Taylor lounged on hotel balconies overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Varosha now stands silent and empty, its windows smashed, its beach chairs rusting. Unlike other resort towns around the world that have found themselves on the decline due to changing tourism patterns and the economy, Varosha didn’t fall slowly. Rather, everything ground to a sudden halt in the summer of 1974, when the ongoing war between the Greeks and the Turks entered within the city limits. Smack dab in the middle of high season when it was packed with visitors,Turkish forces stormed the city with air strikes and ground forces. Everyone fled, tourists and residents alike, and the town that was once home to 39,000 was totally empty. The Turkish army fenced it off and forbade entry, and it has remained that way to this day.

Bones of Modern Villas in Greece

(images via: patrick van dam)

The hollow concrete bones of what were supposed to become luxurious villas in the Greek islands stand on the coast looking like modern versions of the nation’s celebrated ancient ruins. These homes are just a handful among many that were planned before the economic meltdown and left unfinished when the money ran out. Some of the developers reportedly still plan to pick them back up when conditions are better. Says photographer Patrick Van Dam, “The architectural lines combined with the ash-grey concrete structures are an attractive contrast against the rough, red-coloured rocks, the warm yellow high grass and the olive green bushes and trees. This almost abstract scenery shows a unique synergy between architecture and nature. It creates a new and intriguing landscape in which failure, poverty and hopelessness are easily forgotten.”

Kayakoy, Turkey

(images via: pavelrybin, chris_parfitt)

Stone ruins of a once-vibrant town bake in the sun at the base of the Taurus Mountains near Olu Deniz, Turkey. The haunting remains of Kayakoy stand as yet another symbol of the Greco-Turkish War. Established in the 1700s, Kayakoy was built on the site of the ancient city of Karmylassos and was home to Anatolian-speaking Greek residents. Nearly all of them fled during the official population exchange in 1923. About 300,000 Turks were forced out of Greece and into Turkey, and 200,000 Greeks sent back to their homeland. Kayakoy was heavily damaged by a 1957 earthquake and is now a preserved ghost town, run as a museum village and historical monument.

Asinara: Abandoned Prison Island, Sardinia

(images via: montereybay, parks.it)

It may now be a tranquil marine protected area where rare species like the muflone sheep can thrive, but the island of Asinara, Sardinia was once used for less peaceful purposes. The island is dotted with ancient Roman and Greek ruins and was home to pastoralists and fishermen in the 1800s, but it became a quarantine for people with diseases like smallpox at the turn of the 20th century and by World War I, it was used as a military concentration camp. In the 1970s, officials took advantage of its isolation to house terrorists, and later built a maximum security prison that’s got to have some of the best views in the world. The prison held mafia members like Totó Riina until it was closed in 1997, at which point the island became a national park. In addition to the remains of the abandoned prison, visitors can explore small cities built for and by the inhabitants of the quarantine camp. The prison can be seen in the video above at the 2:47 mark.

Next Page - Click Below to Read More:
Seaside Ruins 7 Abandoned Wonders Of The Mediterranean