The proposal concerns the design of a 4* hotel with a capacity of 54 beds on the beachfront of Argostoli, in Kefalonia island, in an otherwise poorly designed environment lacking architectural principles and style, due mostly to the constructions built after the 1953 earthquake.
Morphologically, the building has been designed to combine characteristic forms of traditional Kefalonian architecture in a modern concept. Thus, the elements of the arch and the roof, characteristic elements of the local architecture, visually dominate the facades.
The complex’s’ development is done following a “P-shaped” layout around an atrium, which is the core of the whole composition. At the street level, an arch-shaped elevated base is designed, creating an arcade, off-center of which is the main entrance of the complex, providing visual contact to the welcome area, as well as dining and leisure spaces, while providing an increased sense of privacy in the pool area as well as in the rooms, located at the back of the ground floor.
The first and the second floor levels are designed as single volumes ending in single and double-pitched roofs, standing on the ground floor ‘s solid base. The rooms’ access of these levels is done through open corridors which expand visually and spatially to the inner atrium. The various shades of cement mortar in combination with the use of wood and vegetation, give a fresh and warm character to the complex’s’ facades.
