Interior Design Laboratorium discovers the island of Paros and presents a holistic design for Parilio, a member of Design Hotels, a project inspired by the stripped splendor of Cycladic architecture, the pure land of Paros island and the unique light of the sun.
“Helios, my Sun, let me shine in the echo of your gold light”
Located among the green meadows and the island reeds, next to the famous Kolympithres beach, Parilio - “the sun’s aura” - gets its name from the bright, sunlike optical illusion, often on a luminous ring or halo, caused by sunlight passing through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. The overwhelming feeling that is provoked by the enchanting spectacle of sunlight falling on the Cycladic architecture volume inspired Interior Design Laboratorium to design an accommodation experience that seems to decelerate time.
The Interior Design Laboratorium team first got in touch with the preexisting building in December 2018. The original building was composed of 55 rooms distributed in six buildings that were designed in the 80s, along the lines of typical island architecture, in a 7 acre area. The new building required complete change in both interior and exterior spaces, the design of thirty three suites, a reception area, a restaurant, a pool, the surrounding area and a spa. The construction began in January 2019 and was completed in July 2019.
The Parilio hotel architecture strives for the creation of a fundamental design reality and highlights the need for a return to the traditional principles of Cycladic architecture where studied simplicity is the protagonist. The design is influenced by the traditional houses of Paros and inspired by the fortress - like monasteries that one encounters on the island. The reception area, the first image that is captured by the visitor’s eye, a modern sanctuary with narrow windows and a large entrance that is distinguished by a series of impressive arches, offers an overwhelming feeling of complete calmness. These images create a sense of time travelling to past decades, when life on the Cycladic islands was as pure as light itself.
The Parilio aesthetic was conceived through a deep and strict design analysis that originates from the harmonic mix of new and old elements, modern and vintage materials and furniture, a practice that aims to create a completely new frame of reference. The Parilio visitor comes across a modern architecture approach that is influenced and combined with traditional images of the Cyclades. Along the lines of this aesthetic result, one can also easily notice traditional techniques such as knitting and the art of ceramics. Ceramists from Morocco, Crete and Copenhagen created ceramic pottery, jars and functional objects as a tribute to the hotel’s main view, the Koukounaries cliff. At the top of this cliff, one of the most ancient and important acropolis of the Aegean was discovered. This pure piece of land inspired the Parilio colour palette.
The striking white that one encounters on all traditional houses on the island is combined with the different colours of the cliff - all shades of brown and beige as well as the faded yellow that one can notice among the rocks.
All colours from the cliff have been used in the interior spaces of the rooms creating an outcome that exists in complete harmony with the surrounding nature. The suites seem to be in touch with the landscape, creating a cozy feeling of relaxation. Most furniture is custom made by the Interior Design Laboratorium Team for the Parilio hotel project and is combined with the Cycladic marble and fabrics. As a dominant piece of folk art, the rugs that hang over the headboards in all suites, were custom designed exclusively for Parilio by LRNCE, the famous designer who is based in Morocco.
At the exterior, the ultimate focus of the Parilio design are the bright yellow tents that are one of the most characteristic elements of the hotel. The chairs and tables on the suite balconies are designed by Vincent Van Duysen while the visitor’s eye can most certainly not resist the hotel’s pool, with the natural rock that emerges from the crystal waters. The pool is designed like a cross that faces the entrance which frames the cliff of the ancient Acropolis. A strong image which emphasizes the meaning of the Cycladic landscape as well as the unique way in which it can be merged with the architecture presence.
