The new 5* hotel with a total area of 5,771m2 occupies a 29,080m2 plot in Marmari, on the northeastern side of Kos Island.
The architectural design aims to redefine the concept of tourist accommodation offered as a cultural product and to make it an experience for the visitor, linking it to the place, its history and culture. The approach is holistic and takes place at the level of urban and architectural design, interior design, services (eg. culinary experiences) and entertainment (music).

The goal is achieved by eliminating the hotel blocks and creating an alternative hospitality area like a friendly home, with a relaxed atmosphere where luxury services are offered discreetly.

The classical central building is deconstructed. Public space acquires the characteristics of a settlement. In the central square, the first common functions are articulated into four independent buildings. The first serves the reception, the second the management, the third the bar and store and the fourth the library.
At the connecting axis of the square with the beach restaurant-bar, lies the ground floor rejuvenation building, with unadorned cubic modular form. Surrounded by pine trees, olive trees and aromatic plants, it includes a traditional hammam, indoor swimming pool, gym and an outdoor yoga area.
The end of the route is dominated by the restaurant and beach club complex. The logic of a building is repealed; functions are freely placed under an L-shaped canopy, allowing views of the sea and the patio-pool. A series of successive frames, hidden in specially formed recesses, transform the space depending on weather conditions and needs. During days with strong winds, the glazing on the northern front of the beach close, creating a sheltered zone in the central pool area and patios. On the northern side, a single wooden terrace overlooking the dunes and the sea provides shelter during the hot days.
There are three types of rooms. Double rooms, allocated in ground floor and small two storey buildings; small houses with sitting areas, developed in clusters of two to three units with a communal swimming pool in an enclosed courtyard; and lastly, larger one or two bedroom houses with private pools and patios. The buildings are situated in three zones, according to their typology, reminiscent of island urban settlements, with narrow streets, unexpected openings – positions, external stairs and built-in outdoor sitting areas.

Mastrominas ARChitecture in collaboration with Micromega Architecture

Annabell Kutucu in collaboration with Lambs and Lions

The post Casa Cook Kos was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The luxurious 5 star hotel, situated in the Cretan Gulf of Georgioupolis between the historic prefectures of Chania and Rethymnon, is characterised by a contemporary, original design.

After its renovation lasting 8 months, the abandoned 90’s complex was reborn and transformed into a modern, European standard hotel, with landscaped outdoor areas dominated by intense tropical vegetation, where bamboo and palm trees take centre stage.

A staircase in natural wood and cement leads to the pool bar, the restaurant à la carte and the central swimming pool, designed in reference to the harmony of the sea colours, reflecting the beauty of the landscape.

The first building of the complex is redesigned to house the reception, bar, lobby and the main restaurant, whose decoration comprises a synthesis of ethnic patterns in cement screed combined with irregular wooden volumes. A grey colour palette intermingles with the light and dark hues of natural wood, creating a cozy atmosphere of discreet luxury. In the lobby, selected lighting and custom designed furniture enhance the feeling of warmth and relaxation.

The complex’s contemporary interior is characterised by the polymorphic design of the rooms, which provides comfort to the space as well as unobstructed views of the sea. Here, predominant tones of grey with ethnic touches blend with the Aegean blue, magnetising the gaze of visitors.

In the spa, overlooking the charming beach, natural materials in earthy tones, raw surfaces and reliefs with floral patterns on the walls tie harmoniously with the rustic furniture from peeled tree trunks, creating an impressive rustic scenery.

GeoHow – Γιώργος Χρυσοχόου 

George Vasilakis

Lefteris Kouklakis

George Vasilakis, Giannis Litinas, Marios Lianos

The post La Mer Resort & Spa was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In Skiathos, a summer destination island, the modernist hotel’s building volumes were renovated and redesigned. The design maintains the stylistic clarity of the interior, emphasising its flowing connection to the surrounding area via large openings throughout the lobby, restaurant and bar. Additionally, individual architectural and stylistic manipulations of materials and structures create complexity indoors.
The redesign highlights each room’s purity of form, brightness and extroversion, so as to efficiently connect the space with the environment. This sense is further strengthened by the selection of materials and stylistic interventions.
An open plan layout is chosen for the bathrooms, with large glass surfaces on partition walls. Wardrobes and bathroom benches are designed and constructed with thin metal frames, reducing the sense of solidity and allowing natural light throughout the interior.
In the same logic, desks are embedded in the walls, avoiding the use of legs and supporting surfaces that would interrupt the space’s visual coherence. Chromatically, a “two-tone approach” is selected, comprising the illuminating and minimalist colour white and a light grey zone. Details in black, carefully chosen on the extent and location, emphasise the contrasts. A particularly noticeable role plays the area of ​​coloured floor tiles with geometric patterns in the wet spaces. Emphasis is given to maintaining natural hues in furniture and fabrics, with shades derived from the colour palette of the Sporades Islands.

Stones and Walls

The post Skiathos Blu was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The luxurious Conrad under Hilton brand hotel offers a unique 5-star “oasis” interior of 38,480㎡ combining different cultures in Guangzhou, an ancient city of Lingnan region.

CCD – the main designers of the 309 guest rooms and native Lingnan people – created exploratory spatial experiences for non-native guests, bringing the city’s authentic living atmosphere in their rooms with a combination of modern techniques and traditional elements.
The rooms evoke settings and architectural details found in traditional Xiguan residences, Diaolou watchtowers and Qilou commercial arcade-houses, that symbolize the scope of architecture in South China.
A good view of the river and the city skyline is provided from every room, whose every functional zone expresses the space more reasonably and accurately; by precise control of scale, a timeless beauty is presented, with respect to the city’s history.
An innovative room type “child-mother room” comprises an antechamber and the lobby, with two rooms following; when doors of the antechamber are closed, it becomes a big suite.
Touches of green embellish the suites, for which South Chinese mansions were used as prototype. Stone, wood veneer, metal, wall cloth and wooden floor are the key materials used in the room construction, along with some unique elements, such as old wall bricks and folk lacquer painting, as an embodiment of Lingnan traditional residences. The final result balances aesthetically between Chinese traditional design patterns and modern functional needs.

CCD, AB Concept, AFSO

The post GZ Conrad Hotel was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The creation of the new Mykonos Dove 5* Hotel is based on a unique concept which joins the history of Mykonos, its ties to the sacred island of Delos and modern Greek living all together. Anius, in Greek mythology, was the son of the god Apollo and of Rhoeo, who was herself a descendant of the god Dionysus. Anius’s three daughters, Spermo, Oeno and Elais—that is, Grain Seed, Wine, and Oil—were granted by Dionysus the gift of bringing these three crops to fruition. When the Greek fleet set out to make war in Troy, it was the Spermo, Oeno and Elais who stocked their ships, and Agamemnon was so impressed with this that he abducted them in order to feed the Greek army. The daughters escaped, but their brother betrayed them again to the Greeks. As they were about to be bound, however, Dionysus saved them by turning them into white doves. Since then the white dove became the sacred bird of Delos. The hotel complex consists of 3 primary buildings. Building A, named ‘Σπερμώ’ (seed), comprises the reception area, the hotel lobby and a newly renovated beachfront restaurant, offering authentic Modern Greek cuisine, on the ground floor, a spa and wellness centre on the lower level, plus 13 exclusive, sea view suites on the first floor. Building B, ‘Οινώ’ (wine), hosts a total of 10 Greek Luxury suites on the ground and upper floor. Building C, ‘Ελαΐς’ (olive oil), includes 14 fully renovated double rooms and junior suites on the ground and upper floor.
The hotel complex is completely renovated with new additions, while all rooms are upgraded to 5 star category, with private pool or hot tubs. The design of the hotel is centred on the following principles; transparency, ethereality and fluidity. In addition to these, translucency, reflection and refraction of light through ponds and pools is a repeating theme throughout the public and private areas of the hotel.

Α31 Architecture

The post Mykonos Dove Hotel was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The hotel is located in Courchevel resort, on Bellecôte ski piste 1,850m above sea level in the heart of Les Trois Vallées, the French Alps.
The recent refurbishment of its luxurious 31 rooms and suites, marking the hotel’s 25th anniversary, included a new sun terrace and bar area, a new 800m2 spa with adjacent yoga studio, and a new restaurant.
The calm and convivial atmosphere is augmented by the advantage of ski-in, ski-out, serviced directly from an enlarged ski room with spectacular views directly onto the mountains, as well as the supervised Children’s Club, for aged 3 to 15, a communal space to socialise after ski school.
The new spa comprises two new floors, the construction of which saw the Ed Tuttle designed building temporarily placed on stilts, a never before attempted architectural and engineering endeavour in Courchevel. The first floor houses the new spa with a signature Thai massage suite, among others. The second floor hosts the wellness area with a relaxation lounge, a Capri-stone hammam, a wooden sauna and a cold plunge pool. Located a few steps away and flanked by Jacuzzis lies a 14m-long lap pool, beneath vaulted ceilings and between white pillars and mirrored walls, providing a serene environment.
The new yoga studio, located adjacent to the spa, offers early morning pre-ski sessions to prepare and stretch the body for the day’s activity.
Lastly, the new Nama restaurant celebrates finely crafted Japanese cuisine under the guidance of master chef Keiji Matoba.

Christophe Tollemer

The post Aman Le Mélézin was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The S Hotel, named after developer Xiao-Fei Wang’s actress wife, Barbie Xu known as “Big S”, is a new-style aesthetic edifice located on bustling Dunhua North Road in Taipei, Taiwan.

The interior design is conceived as a bridge between tradition and modernity. The incorporation of indigenous Taiwanese humanistic features creates a unique and bespoke atmosphere which welcomes guests in a sensorial experience, made of art, culture, creativity and intelligence.

The ceiling and carpets – painted based on the aboriginal culture designs by Taiwanese artist Cha-Ray Chu – come into view as one enters the lobby, offering an artistic and heart-warming environment that soothes the user after the hustle of the city. Wooden cladding on walls and ceiling, as well as brushes of colour compose a comfortable, elegant scenery.

The hotel’s restaurant HYG – deriving from “hygge”, the Danish verb for creating a warm and cosy atmosphere by sharing the good things in life – offers a visual and culinary fusion of Scandinavian and Asian elements, run by Danish Michelin-star chef Mikkel Maarbjerg.

Interiors are infused with elegance, poetry and humour; the 103 refined rooms and suites consist of stylish urban retreats, predominated by the colour white along with touches of mustard yellow, and enhanced by strategically placed large rose-tinted mirrors, offering an abundance of natural light.

Philippe Starck

The post S Hotel was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The hotel, situated in the heights above the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, seduces by its Alpine grand manor look and feel, as its design approach was of a home. Intimate touches provided by objects that recall history, voyages and the local surroundings, set an eclectic stage of 7,000m2. The large central hall boasts a rustic yet elegant wooden staircase that leads to the LeMontBlanc restaurant, wine cellar and lounge, where the majestic fireplace with separate 17th century mantel and furniture in varying shades of red lend a sense of warmth, comfort and relaxation.
Seven bedrooms, six spacious suites, one of which is 100m2, and four apartments of 200m2 all with artful marble bathrooms, form a very special mountain odyssey with delicately treated décor, inspired by the world’s highest peaks and mountain ranges. The 13 bedrooms and suites have their own separate identity: Oural, Everest, Anapurna, Kilimandjaro, Dolomites, Rocky Mountains, Alpes, Anatolie, Sierra Nevada, Atlas. Some of the rooms, reached through the billiards room with its giant television screen and fireplace, are sports oriented, dedicated to Alpine fauna – bear, marmot, chamois. Very large south-facing terraces, each with large beds for relaxing, extend the already spacious bedrooms.
The carefully designed lighting, with reproduced appliques of the Chateau of Lobkowicz and the throne room of Auguste le Fort in Dresden, the serene hallmark spa, as well as the swimming pool in jade green Indonesian marble – all contribute to the fairytale setting.

Christophe Decarpentrie

The post LeCrans Hotel&Spa was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Villa Bordeaux occupies a prominent location in the centre of Fira with impressive views towards the caldera. The building has a landmark status: with its thick arcades which seem to retain a De Chirico aura and its facades of a rich bordeaux (burgundy) colour, a colour that has come to stand for monumental buildings in Santorini.

The renovation of this historical building aimed in establishing a hotel of few rooms next to the new outpost of top restaurant La Colline of Moscow. The design is inspired by Frangomachalas, the small historic part of Fira built by the Venetians, featuring a refined architecture of thick ochre walls and metal doors.

A departure from the all white Cycladic aesthetic, the hotel instills a modern approach within a traditional vocabulary. In the reception hall, a lighting installation relates to the western view towards the caldera, the flickering reflection of the sun in the sea. From there, access is granted to the two ground floor rooms as well as to La Colline, the indoor restaurant that retains the existing double barrel vault, filtered by a metal screen – the motif here relates to the famous Lilies Fresco found at the prehistoric archeological site of Akrotiri.

The western room on the ground floor features a central island unit that combines bed and bath — a floating arrangement that echoes the position of the volcano within Santorini. Between bed and bath, a patinated dark bronze filter with triangular incisions discloses an untreated shiny bronze interior; when this interior is lit, a “volcanic” scene is emulated.

The two other rooms are located at the lower floor where cavernous vaults dominate, shaping a more complex and organic plan. Each basement room retains a whole arcade to itself, acquiring full privacy, a quite impossible task at the densely built caldera landscape. On the exterior, the outdoor part of La Colline is placed along the rim of the cliff, with an adjacent bar and the swimming pool.

Mplusm Architects

The post Villa Bordeaux was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The hotel is located in the Akrotiri area of Santorini, at the southwestern part of the island, only a few minutes away from the renowned prehistoric settlement. Built on the edge of the caldera, in an idyllic setting within a 1,4 ha area, it includes superior deluxe rooms, suites and villas alongside 40 private infinity pools.
A “mysterious” tunnel leads through the half light, to several rooms and finally to the terraces enjoying the unrivalled Cycladic light. Some of them are designed according to the vernacular Theran architecture, reminiscent of traditional undercuts.
The design concept of the room interiors is based on the essence of barefoot luxury, following simple minimal lines, each room with a different layout. Materials, forms and decorative elements used in the rooms create a natural and simultaneously hospitable style.
White, cyan and soft grey hues dominate the colour palette, while the strokes of colour are in harmony to the Ζen atmosphere and elegance emitted by the spaces.

Achilleas Kritikos

The post Ambassador Aegean Luxury Hotel & Suites was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.