Building an Island Paradise
Immerse yourself in the sun-kissed magic of Cycladic architecture with Andreas Rousounelis.
A rich history
The studio of self-taught artisan, Andreas Rousounelis is a conveyor belt of riveting miniature design. Heavily influenced by the stories and heritage of his native Greece, many of Andreas’ recent works depict the distinctive cubic architecture of the picturesque Cyclades, the wreath of Greek islands surrounding the sacred island of Delos, birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, rising from the shimmering blue waters of the Aegean. Stone buildings typified by their sun-kissed whitewashed exteriors and contrasting bright blue paintwork, it’s easy to see why Andreas admits these sunshine dioramas have become his favourite creations. This evocative style of architecture has also become the increasingly popular subject of sought-after commission pieces, Andreas’ most recent Cycladic house a replica of a real property on Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades. “What attracts me most to Cycladic architecture is the simplicity, the bright colours and the nostalgia it radiates.” says Andreas.
The Cyclades are the perfect environment for anyone hoping to find themselves swept away by the waves of history and legend, the past seeping from every corner of these beautiful islands which count the familiar holiday destinations, Mykonos and Santorini amongst them. Only a small number of the islands are inhabited, and the Cyclades are alive with archaeological significance, commanding around five thousand years of art history dating back to the Bronze Age. A Cycladic beaker dating from between circa 3200 and 2700 BC reached $10,000 in auction at Christie’s last year. The Cyclades are also a haven for the natural world, home to in excess of two hundred species of fish and the planet’s rarest seal, the endangered Mediterranean monk seal.
Creating the dream
Despite the distinctive overall shape and style of the whitewashed buildings, there is an incredible wealth of individuality to be found in the characteristics of Cycladic architecture, something clearly demonstrated through Andreas’ dioramas. In 1/24 and 1/35 scale, these are not only detailed works of art, but also tiny, often barely larger than a hand. Achieving the intricacy needed to build the depth of realism required in these scales is no mean feat, but it’s something Andreas captures in fascinating detail. The external stairs which traditionally lead between the ground floor and the upstairs bedrooms are a wonderful design feature, even if they’re something you definitely wouldn’t consider when building a house in blustery Britain! Ornate railings, window shutters, colourful foliage and blue and white signs, reading ‘Greek Art’, ‘Rooms’ or ‘ To Let’ all add that extra layer. Beginning with a series of sketches and calculations, Andreas brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘wallpaper’, replicating these solid whitewashed structures using paper and 5mm foam.
Leaving no stone unturned, almost literally, he also uses paper to perfectly recreate the iconic mosaic style cobbles which wend their way through the closely knitted streets of the Cyclades. An amazing effect which, with a little patience is surprisingly simple to achieve.
“To create the stones on the ground I use paper as a base which I paint in the appropriate colours of the stones, and then with a thin brush and white paint I create the shapes of the stones.” The aesthetics of both the twisting streets and the buildings themselves, with their small, shuttered windows, were designed in the long ago to inflict confusion and difficulty on unsuspecting pirates.
A lightbulb moment
Andreas’ 1/24 scale patio scene includes the small corner of an illuminated swimming pool, the subtle ripple of water offering just a hint of the wider scene to the imagination. “I wanted to add the pool as something different,” he explains. “I also created the lighting with LED lights and added the water, which is a transparent resin.” Andreas sources much of the lighting for his dioramas from the Modelling Centre in Athens, enabling him to incorporate that summer evening vibe within his Cycladic buildings. The Greek
Art Gallery, also in 1/24th scale, is one of Andreas’ most exciting dioramas, the outside lights drawings you towards the warm glow emanating from the upstairs window. Lighting is also a very topical issue on the Cyclades themselves, the islands only now seeing themselves connected to the electricity supply of the Greek mainland. A four phase project which initially began in 2017, the project will see the use of the diesel generators relied upon by the islands finally come to an end.
A window on the past
Away from Cycladic architecture, Andreas’ other recent work has included the replica of a Barcelona wine bar, and two beautifully framed dioramas focusing on old shops, both of which ramp up the nostalgia dial. Andreas lavishes as much care and attention on the contents of the shop windows as he does
on the exteriors themselves. With its olive green façade, the window of his 1/24 scale antique shop features a custom built wooden display unit thoughtfully filled with a range of items. There’s the obligatory candle stick and the most delightful ‘mahogany’ chest of drawers, whilst a painting and an old map, yellowed with age, add further interest. The upstairs window is just as intriguing, even more so for the fact we can only see half of it! An illuminated world hidden by drawn curtains, we are left to conjure with just who might live there! Even smaller at 1/35 scale, the second store is an old toy shop, a teddy bear and pull along duck sitting in the window alongside a pretty pink dress. “For the nostalgic windows, I’m usually inspired by real photos,” says Andreas. “I like this image of abandonment, the atmosphere and the nostalgic mood they exude.”
Andreas’ work has also recently attracted the attention of the
Dynamite Gallery in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, who have showcased several of his pieces, including his framed door dioramas. Featuring the glimpse of an abandoned exterior, often with a brightly coloured wooden front door, these are memorable pieces. With a creative eye on the past, Andreas can, in addition to 1/24 and 1/35 scales, also be found working with the even more challenging, and smaller 1/43 and 1/87. He is an exciting artisan with exceptional talent and a future as bright as the Cycladic buildings which have fast become some of his finest work.
INFO
To purchase pieces by Andreas visit: www.etsy.com/shop/ANDREASROUSOUNELIS Instagram: @rousounelis
You will need
Materials required
1/4in (6mm) thick foamcore
1/8in x 1/4in (3mm x 6mm) and 1/4in (6mm) square stripwood
1-1/4in (32mm) Loew Cornell Woodsies circles or cut from sheetwood
Four stair balusters for each stool
(e.g. Houseworks #7202)
Two spindles for each stool
(e.g. Houseworks #12029)
1/16in (1.6mm) thick sheetwood
1/16in (1.6mm) diameter brass tubing Mattboard
Two miniature brackets
2x6 model railroad stripwood
Miniature dartboard
Red adhesive-backed felt
Black, blue, green and red scrapbook paper Gold shiny card
White plastic covered wire
Fine-gauge steel wire
Marble effect paper
Miniature brick paper
Miniature wallpaper
Full-size turned spindle or finial(s) to make 3-3/8in (86mm) height
Set of 10 battery operated micro lightbulbs Yellow cellophane
Orange/red seed beads
Small tree branch
Black felt marker & black Sharpie pen Clear mylar
Small clear mylar packaging box
Brass beads
Brass ball-head pin
Crown moulding
Baseboard
White gel pen
Wood stains (dark oak, red mahogany) Satin varnish
White glue, superglue & glue stick
Tools required
Circle cutter
Small saw and mitre box
Knife and steel ruler
Needle files
Emery board
Small hand drills
1/8in hole punch
Circles template
Ball stylus
1-1/2in (38mm) diameter form (e.g. pill bottle)
Grid paper
Wooden cocktail stick
FIREPLACE CUTTING LIST
2 Glue the stripwood sides between the top and bottom. Glue this square onto the felt. Glue the score slates to each door, a small piece of model railroad stripwood under each end of their strips, and superglue three darts behind each strip. Glue the strips at the bottom of the slates. Glue the ‘hinges’ on each door and a door against each side. Glue the free end of the hinges onto the case stripwood. Glue the dartboard into the case, then varnish. Peel the backing and stick the cabinet to the wall with the top edge 6-1/2in (165mm) from the floor.
Pub table