The design of Dexamenes Seaside Hotel | Hotel rooms in old wine tanks

14-3-2019

Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is located on Kourouta beach on the western coast of the Peloponnese in Greece and it will open May 2019. The hotel has been created on the site of an abandoned winery. The derelict, industrial structures that characterize the site have been left relatively untouched since the 1920’s but Nikos Karaflos, a visionary entrepreneur-turned-hotelier changed that! The old tanks have been converted into 34 guestrooms, many of which have a private patio overlooking the sea. The design with a lot of steel, glass, concrete and timber, is led by K-Studio.

The design of Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

From the outset it was clear to the design team that the strong history and raw beauty of the existing buildings should not only be preserved, but be delicately showcased in a design that would breathe new life into their walls, compliment their brutality with elegant interventions and so transform their austere functionality into a place of calm, comfort and relaxation. It ended up looking ‘industrial cool’ at an place where guests can literally dip their toes in toes in the water of one of the most unspoiled and beautiful stretches of coastline in the western Peloponnese.

Dominating the site of the Dexamenes Seaside Hotel are two concrete blocks that are divided lengthwise into two rows of 10 storage tanks. These tanks, measuring approximately 5m by 6m were perfectly sized to become hotel rooms and so K-Studio identified a linear plan of a row of identical rooms with their openings towards the adjacent beach.

Sleeping in your private wine tank

Entering your tank, you instantly sense the contrast of the cool, private, personal space inside with the heat and exposure to the elements outside. Large sliding windows can be opened fully to the sea air of the patio, or kept closed to retain the cool without closing off the view. The proportions are ideal: a comfortable 30sqm of carefully organized and beautifully detailed space, designed to sit within the exposed concrete walls of the tank without inhibiting their unique texture and patina. Each room features a double bed adjacent to a single bed that can also act as a sofa, an open wardrobe and storage area and a bathroom separated by a wall of textured glass that allows light from the window to reach the back of the tank.

The Peloponnese peninsula has always been home to the most wineries and grape varieties in Greece, so the focus is on wine and food. Guests can enjoy the bar-lounge and taverna, the hotel’s open kitchen lab will also host local gastronomy courses and tastings. On the site is a boutique ‘bakaliko’ selling local produce, and a history room that will connect visitors to the story of the site.

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Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

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