Brief Description of Concept Totally designed by the eclectic Brazilian designer-duo Humberto and Fernando Campana. This is their first architectural refurbishment project. Given their love of restoring, recycling and sharing, the brothers decided to bring in a group of 20 young architects from the department of Architecture of the University of Thessaly to design chairs, plates, side lamps as well as present a theme from Greek Tradition.
Hotel Description step by step 1. Ground Area (NEW Taste restaurant / Reception Area): Inspired by Campanas iconic Favela chair (1993), the art installation that covers the ground floor receptions and restaurant is all made in reclaimed wood as a tribute to the memory of the hotel. The imposing columns are covered with the long, narrow strips of wood - a collage of old furniture. We call them “Favela” columns. Favela derives from the Brazilian poor neighbourhoods.
We’ve maintain the black marble staircase and its typical 1940s solid-wood balustrade as it used to be when operated as “Olympic Palace Hotel”
NEW Taste restaurant, Highly innovative menus with a focus on the Mediterranean cuisine, using local organic produce wherever possible. All day restaurant.
2. Workshop Floor: Meeting rooms. “Workshop rooms” derives from the workshop team as the brothers once appointed to design the hotel they decided to work as they do in their studio, using a laboratorial approach. They’ve put together a school inside the old hotel that was named Campanas’ Workshop in Athens. Workshop team had to feed them with inputs on local modern culture.
3. Guestrooms (1st to 6th floor): Executive Floors (5th and 6th floor), Executive Lounge and Penthouse Suite (7th floor)
Corridor: material called Bark Cloth, a natural wallpaper produced by processing bark from the Moraceae tree family. The one used within the Hotel is from Uganda.
All rooms enjoy natural day light. Double glazed as well as floor to ceiling windows, completely soundproof rooms. Not all rooms offer balconies (Only the ones overlooking Nikodimou and Filellinon Street ).
On each floor: 4 rooms are overlooking Filellinon Street, (Room Type: 2 superior plus, 2 studio) 3 rooms are overlooking Lamahou Street, (Room Type: superior) 5 rooms are overlooking Nikodimou street, (Room Type: 1 standard and 4 superior) and 1 room overlooking back side of Hotel, Lamahou street, no balcony (Room Type: Junior Suite)
There is consistency in the rooms referring to sqm and design. Art differs as following: Three themes referring to local tradition:
a. KARAGIOZIS x 27 rooms, a mischievous character from Greek folklore. Old Shadow figures (puppets) carved, covered with gold and mounted on the room walls like a moving fairytale. We are have displayed 4 different stories, one per room such as Karagiozis Doctor, Sailorman, Wedding, Astronaut
b. EVIL EYE x 24 rooms, evil eye’ a bead charm used to guard against ill omen.
c. POST CARD x 27 rooms, Poetic sets of retro tourism and historic postcards, offering a glimpse of old Athens through a very modern design twist. This reiterates the now lost custom of sending travel souvenirs, today replaced by short emails and snapshots taken with mobile phones.
Amenities in each room such as: • Satellite, Interactive and Pay TV, DVD library • Electric Blinds • Newspaper, daily • Mini Bar • Direct dial / Voice mail • High speed wireless internet connections in all rooms. • Personal electronic safe box in the room • Hair dryer, Telephone in bathrooms, Designer amenities • Bathrobes and slippers in all rooms
In room materials: 1. Wooden desk is made of MDF. Finishing of desk is made of oak wooden veneer. 2. Floors + Bath area are all from Solid Bamboo . 3. Side tables are made of solid Bamboo (from USA). 4. Bathrooms: The washbasin has been treated as a 'fragmented rock', following the idea of favelas that lead to fragmented shapes for various items through out the hotel. This washbasin is a unique design created by the collaboration of the architects and designers. It was manufactured abroad (Fiber Pro Group) and were transported in Greece. Washbasin "base" is made of Polyester and Washbasin "bowl" of Solid brass. Baths: There are no baths in the hotel, there are showers in the rooms. There is only one jacuzzi-bath at the spa, by Teuco.
Fitness Area: Wallpaper in all areas: Vinyl / PVC, Brand: Bolon Aluminum hammer bronze finished
