This seven-level, 6,500-square-foot luxury cliffside villa is designed by architect Norman Foster, situated on a steep site overlooking the Mediterranean. In the living area, an 18-ton angled retractable glass wall and sun louvers “allow the inside and the outside to dissolve into one,” he says.

Dynamic steel arches that swoop over the pool terrace and down the hillside are gridded with the network of cables that “support sails for shade and privacy as well as encourage the growth of greenery,” Foster explains. “The materials, colors and detailing evoke a nautical feel.” Eventually, the house will be partially covered by vines, blending the structure into its rugged surroundings.

“The principal areas encompass five levels, with related living, dining and library spaces.” A glass elevator connects these levels to the bedrooms below and to the roof and pool terrace. The dining level is elevated above the living level and main terrace for clear, uninterrupted views out to sea,” notes Foster.