Patrick & Joan Leigh Fermor House

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Museum-owned cultural property in Kardamili

The Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor House, located in Kardamyli, is a property of exceptional cultural significance. In 1996, Sir Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor bequeathed their home to the Benaki Museum with the intention that it function as a place of intellectual work, study, and residence for scholars and writers.
Public access is provided for a defined period each year and is managed with operational support by Aria Hotels, within a framework that protects the character and intent of the residence.
The estate consists of three stone buildings set within a Mediterranean garden extending to the sea forming a unified architectural ensemble.

Documentation approach

We were appointed the documentation within an archival and institutional perspective. The objective was interpretation the accurate recording of spatial relationships and the interaction between architecture and landscape.
Interior and exterior spaces were documented with attention to scale, patina, and natural light, following the logic of the property as a lived environment of cultural value Our work respects the domestic and intellectual character of the house, avoiding stylistic intervention.

Use and purpose

The resulting visual material functions as a long-term documentary resource. It supports institutional communication, conservation records, and controlled public presentation, while remaining aligned with the ethical and cultural obligations of the original bequest.
Our project is intended to serve the house as a place of memory, scholarship, and stewardship, reinforcing its role within the broader mission of the Benaki Museum and the preservation of modern Greek cultural heritage.

This project is part of our Architectural and Interior projects.