Dexamenes Seaside Hotel
Situation
The history dates back to 1830, since the liberation of Greece, when the cultivation of currants took on impressive dimensions and currants were the main export product of the Greek Kingdom. In 1910 the trade of currants collapsed and there was a need to convert the unsold stock of currants into alternative products, such as wine. Thus, the infrastructures which later on were used for the creation of this magnificent hotel complex, were originally wine storage tanks. Dexamenes was built on the sea so that ships could be loaded with wine directly from the tanks, before setting sail from Kourouta of Peloponnese for the major overseas markets.Solution
Abandoned facilities since the 1920s, they have been a wonderful creative canvas for the K-studio architectural office, generously offering a palette of concrete, steel, wood, and glass. Thanks to the special architectural intervention, all these strict and heavy building materials are transformed into a place of calm, comfort, and relaxation. Two rows of ten wine-storage tanks, measuring approximately 5m by 6m each, were perfectly sized to become hotel rooms, each with ensuite bathroom and shaded patio. A shallow pool separates the 2 rows of rooms, reflecting light and providing a cool breeze on hot afternoons. Except the tanks-rooms, the two original stone out-buildings have been carefully converted to provide the hotel with in-house dining and event facilities with a focus on communicating the culture of the area and the history of the building through art and cuisine. The openings of the buildings have been treated with absolute respect for the history and have been covered in such a way as to allow the unobstructed unification of the interior with any element of the external environment. In this way, a balance of calm and natural serenity is achieved throughout the hotel facilities.
