The Pelješac peninsula is a beautiful, rugged and isolated area in the south of Croatia. Twenty-five years ago, our client had purchased a plot of land right on the water’s edge, surrounded by acres of deep mediterranean pine forests. The site is very secluded and best accessed by sea, as only long dirt tracks reach it by land.

In this ideal enclave for isolation and contemplation, the client had originally built a simple cabin for short breaks that worked for them for many years. They have recently commissioned VVA to transform that temporary build into a permanent pavilion.

Our architectural goal was to continue the minimal intervention, providing a unique place for communion with the sea and surrounding nature. The pavilion is a peaceful hideaway that integrates itself with the sea through an openable glass wall and gives protection through three stone walls.

These walls are built in the same traditional way houses and shelters have been built in the area for hundreds of years, simply made out of the stones found in the surrounding landscape – with minimal cost and ecological footprint.

Shading and passive cooling is provided by a series of concrete beams at the front of the shelter, creating a blissful porch on the sea front.

The roof of the pavilion can also be reached by a circular corten staircase, adding another vantage point for further contemplation of the sea.

Inside, the house follows a simple but efficient layout made for simple contemporary living, with two bedrooms and lounge/kitchen area and bathroom. A further connection to the landscape is provided by floor-to-ceiling openable glass doors on a lateral wall, highlighting the presence of the forest inside the dwelling, to provide an experience of continuous connection between land and the sea.