A summer residence in the Hamptonsby Vera Goll | 07.05.2013

Genius Loci

Rick Scanlon and Alicia Zarou Scanlon, a businessman and an art dealer, chose Montauk, east of New York, as the place for their holiday home. The coastal area is characterized by extreme weather conditions – sudden fog and gusts of wind – and by typological peculiarities in matters of architecture.

Radar towers and bunkers are the remaining witnesses of the place's past as an US airbase. Since the late 19th century, Montauk has been evolving into a holiday resort. In those days, the buildings with wood-shingle façades typical for this place were created by McKim, Mead & White, the most influential architecture firm of that time.

The contractors chose the firm Bates Masi Architects to design the building. The property is situated at one of the highest elevations of Montauk, on the ground of a former horse ranch. Instead of placing a dominant volume on the top of the hill, the architects went for a composition of two volumes linked by a bridge, and clad with cedar wood shingles. The complex consists of a dwelling house and an outdoor area with a swimming pool. The structures have been terraced at the hill, facing north.

Fusion of new and old

The new building is a fusion of traditional elements and a contemporary, open architectural style. Both features can be recognized in the shape of the structure, as well as in the used materials. The latter comprise a lot of transparent glass and warm wood. The slightly slope saddle roof resulted from the permitted building height, and the typology of the surrounding buildings. The roof creates various impressions of the interior, and stages various views.

The spirit of the place

To stage the vastness of the landscape, the view of the Atlantic Ocean and of Lake Montauk, the architects created several individual accessibility situations. The goal was, to make the building “experienceable” for the user. There are several accesses allowing different views of the landscape.

One entrance is situated underneath the connecting bridge. From there, the landscape and the ocean can be seen. Depending on the position of the sun, an interplay of light and shadow results below the bridge. Another entrance is accessed by external stairs that are interrupted by a glass wall, leading to several areas. There is another separate access for guests, through the terrace. With this concept of individual entrances, the architects succeeded in offering every user an individual perception of the building.