A former family residence in the dense centre of Fira is transformed into a five-suite hotel, where restored Cycladic forms, natural materials and planted spaces translate the principles of vegan hospitality into architecture.

Ethos Vegan Suites in Santorini by Kapsimalis Architects occupies a former two-storey family residence in the centre of Fira. Originally constructed after the 1956 Santorini earthquake and extended vertically during the 1980s, the building was reorganized as a small hotel with five independent suites.

Two suites and a compact reception and kitchen occupy the ground floor. Three additional suites are arranged above and accessed through an open staircase integrated with planting. Each room combines sleeping and sitting areas with a kitchenette and bathroom, while private yards, balconies or terraces extend the accommodation outdoors.

 

 

Reworking the existing shell

The transformation retains the characteristic geometry of the original building while simplifying later additions and adapting the structure to its new use.

Existing forms were restored and clarified to establish a contemporary relationship with the compact, whitewashed fabric of Fira. Selected parapets, decorative cornices and parts of the enclosure were removed or replaced, reducing the visual complexity of the former residence.

New thin metal handrails, solid surfaces and perforated ceramic screens introduce a lighter architectural layer. The screens define different degrees of privacy around the rooms and circulation areas while allowing daylight and air to pass through.

The intervention therefore does not attempt to reproduce a historic Cycladic interior. Instead, it works with the existing building and its recognizable forms, introducing new elements that respond to contemporary hospitality.

 

Five suites around shared and private outdoor spaces

From the pedestrian street, the entrance leads to a common semi-outdoor area. This intermediate space functions as a point of arrival and informal gathering before the circulation divides towards the individual suites.

On the ground floor, each unit extends towards a private yard with a small pool and sitting area. The rooms on the upper level open onto balconies or terraces, also incorporating small water elements and views towards the eastern part of Santorini and the Aegean.

The roof is partially planted with aromatic herbs and local vegetables. These are connected with the operation of the hotel and its vegan food and drinks, extending the project’s concept beyond the interiors and into the everyday use of the building.

 

 

Vegan principles as design parameters

A central objective was to translate vegan hospitality into architectural and material decisions rather than treat it solely as an operational concept.

Materials and furnishings derived from animal products were avoided. In their place, the architects selected natural and recyclable materials including ceramics, clay, stone, oak, mineral mortars, cotton, hemp and linen.

Local craftsmanship and custom-made furniture also form part of this approach. Built-in elements reduce the need for additional objects, while planting, water, daylight and natural ventilation contribute to an interior environment closely connected with natural processes.

The material strategy is therefore integral to the identity of the hotel. Vegan principles are expressed through sourcing, construction and atmosphere rather than through applied imagery.

 

Ceramic surfaces and mineral textures

The restrained palette combines variations of earth tones with the material character of ceramics, timber and mineral finishes.

Outside, small square terracotta tiles are laid with visible joints filled with natural beige mortar, creating a repetitive grid across the floors. The exterior walls and ceramic screens are predominantly off-white, connecting the hotel with the surrounding urban fabric.

Inside, large square floor tiles incorporate small ceramic fragments and tesserae. Walls and ceilings are finished with textured plasters containing natural components, while smooth white plaster emphasizes the vaulted ceilings of the two ground-floor suites.

Bathrooms are treated with pale cement-based finishes. Coloured glass partitions in yellow and green create translucent boundaries around the showers and introduce controlled variations within the otherwise muted interiors.

 

 

Oak, terracotta and recycled aggregates

Natural oak is used for wardrobes, shelving and other fixed elements, bringing a warmer material layer into the rooms.

Thin terracotta tiles appear on selected walls, while ceramic claustra are also used inside as supports for desks and as permeable elements that conceal technical equipment.

Kitchenette and bathroom surfaces combine plaster with recycled stone or coloured recycled glass. Their irregular aggregates give the surfaces a distinct texture and make the reuse of material visually apparent.

Bronze-toned mirrors, black metal details and custom travertine tables complete the composition. Lighting made from clay, coloured glass, timber and metal continues the same material language.

Rather than aiming for a uniform finish, the interiors bring together surfaces with different densities, textures and degrees of reflection.

 

Hospitality within the dense fabric of Fira

The project uses an existing building to create a small-scale form of hospitality within one of Santorini’s most densely built settlements.

Its identity emerges from the relationship between the restored shell, porous ceramic surfaces, planting, natural materials and individual outdoor spaces. The result combines the spatial character of a traditional island house with a contemporary programme organized around five suites.

Ethos Vegan Suites translates its operating philosophy into the architecture itself, using material selection, natural light, ventilation and landscape as basic components of the guest experience.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 270 | September 2022, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

Set on an olive-covered slope overlooking the quiet bay of Ampelaki in Meganisi, Amphitheatro Boutique Hotel by ATENO Architecture Studio transforms two existing stone houses into a small contemporary hotel. The intervention retains the character of the original buildings while introducing new shared spaces, shaded areas and a completely redesigned landscape.

The two independent stone volumes had previously been connected by an irregular corridor. Their interiors were fully reorganized to accommodate six guest rooms alongside the necessary reception, kitchen and storage areas. Rather than erasing the existing structures, the design introduces a series of restrained additions that soften their geometric severity and establish a closer relationship with the surrounding landscape.

 

 

Connecting two existing volumes

A metal canopy in an earthy tone bridges the two stone buildings, creating a sheltered central area with an outdoor kitchen. The new element establishes a shared zone between the existing volumes while remaining visually distinct from the original masonry.

In front of it, the swimming pool becomes the focal point of the courtyard. Nearby, a curved built-in seat unfolds beneath a circular canopy, introducing softer geometries into the composition and counterbalancing the rigid lines of the stone buildings.

These additions establish a new architectural vocabulary between the two existing houses. Metal, plaster and timber are introduced alongside the local stonework, while their muted tones maintain the visual continuity of the ensemble.

Shared spaces and private courtyards

The outdoor areas were redesigned entirely and organized across three levels. At the centre, the main courtyard functions as the shared heart of the hotel, bringing together the pool, outdoor kitchen and shaded sitting areas.

Around it, smaller outdoor spaces serve the ground-floor rooms as private courtyards. The arrangement allows collective life and retreat to coexist within the same composition, offering guests places to gather as well as more secluded areas in direct contact with the landscape.

The relationship between these different levels of privacy is central to the project. The hotel is not organized around a single communal space, but through a gradual transition from shared areas to increasingly private settings.

 

 

A material palette rooted in the landscape

The selection of materials seeks to anchor the intervention within its setting. Earthy colours and subdued tones are applied to the metal surfaces, plaster and timber, complementing the existing stone walls.

The intervention avoids strong contrasts between old and new. Instead, differences in geometry, texture and construction distinguish the contemporary additions while allowing the two original buildings to remain the principal elements of the composition.

The architecture is conceived as a quiet background to the experience of the place. The changing light, views towards the sea and the movement of the surrounding trees remain the dominant features of the hotel.

Through a limited series of additions and landscape interventions, Amphitheatro Boutique Hotel gives new use to the existing structures without diminishing their relationship with the site. Shared courtyards, shaded thresholds and private outdoor rooms transform the two stone houses into a small hospitality complex shaped around the experience of the landscape.

 

Originally published in ek magazine 299 | July–August 2025.