Adjusting to the slopes and the shapes of the terrain in Hersonissos of Crete, the hotel is developed through mild slopes instigating a smooth, but at the same time peculiar, combination of contemporary and traditional local elements. Two double-storey buildings include the extrovert uses and dominate the highest point of the plot. On the one hand, they provide access to the highway, on the other, they form a sense of isolation for the rooms which are developed alongside the coast. Deliberately gaps and integrated rooms which are shaped linearly on successive elevations ensure that the views remain unobstructed. Simple, clean lines and volumes along with earthy elements of grey carved stone, concrete, wood, and naturally oxidized metal formulate a uniform integrated tectonic landscape surrounded by the distinct trees and shrubs of Cretan flora. Large, sea-oriented glass openings provide transparency, leaving natural light and the external environment to enter into the interior. Strong emphasis has been given on the ecological behavior of the building with high thermal insulation systems and full utilization of the natural resources in order to guarantee sustainable function as well as the least morphological and energy intervention.
Architect: Alpha Architecture | Alexandrakis & Partners
