In the center of Athens and surrounded by iconic buildings and historical monuments of the city, the new Athens Capital Hotel is a five-star luxury hotel of the MGallery Hotel Collection by Accor. The building, located at the junction of Panepistimiou and Kriezotou streets, was built in 1959 by the architect Costas Kitsikis, to house the historic King’s Palace Hotel. One of the initial and crucial challenges of the design team was to modernize its identity, by connecting the past with the present, respecting the architectural memory of the building, and combining contemporary design while maintaining classic and elegant lines.
The total reconstruction of the building -by the architectural office MTArchitects and MKV Design that undertook the interior design- was completed in 24 months resulting in a luxurious hotel of contemporary high-end standards, hosting 158 modern rooms, 18 suites and 1 presidential suite. Every room featuring unique aesthetics of Greek symbols and designs accentuated by elegant materials.
The use of the building of a total built area of 12.700 sq.m., is converted as follows:
The central entrance of the hotel is placed into its original position along Panepistimiou Avenue, where the existing sculpture ‘Theros-Dimitra’ by Nella Golanda is showcased. The public areas are developed on the ground floor with the reception, the lobby, the bar, and the shops on Panepistimiou Street. The multipurpose hall, business center and gym are located on the first floor. Guest rooms are distributed between floors 1 to 9. The 9th floor also accommodates the hotel’s restaurant. On the top floor, the roof-top pool bar offering stunning views of the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill has an impressive open-air infinity pool. It is where the emblematic Mappemonde installation by artist Georgios Lappas, conceived by Maria Vafiadis, begins. Services and ‘Back of House’ spaces are limited on the 1st and 2nd basement to maximize the guest services and experiences.
On the exterior, facades are re-shaped in response to the new functional use and layout of the building, respecting the original principles of the building and retuning it into a more contemporary design. The three-fold horizontal division –basis, core, rooftop- is maintained. Symmetry, axiality and rhythmic repetition of the openings are proposed. The main cladding material of the facades is the off-white limestone marble Vratsa, with brush treatment and sandblasting. Along with the standardization of these morphological elements, modern elements are contrasted such as the crystal and metal parapets and the aluminum sheets which are placed on the 7th and 8th floor and in the central part of the facade of Panepistimiou Street. This section is designed based on the internal variation of the configuration of the rooms. The recessed roof is also completely covered by aluminum sheets enhancing the design approach.
The existing historic elements of the building, such as the central stairway, the roof garden, the interior atrium, are all reinstated.
The new Athens Capital Hotel-MGallery emerges as part of the architectural evolution of the area and as a new contemporary hotel of the modern metropolis. A prominent statement standing gracefully next to timeless monuments, becoming a point of reference in the city.
- Total Built Area: 12.700 τ.μ.
- Design Study Duration: 9 μήνες (2018)
- Construction Duration: 24 μήνες (2018-2020)
Project Contributors:
- Architects: MTArchitects | Massouridis Theodoraki Architects
- Project Team: Alexandros Massouridis (Architect), Myrto Theodoraki (Architect), Vassilis Gavriilidis (Architect), Konstantina Papanikolaou (Architect), Katerina Psarra (Architect), Giannis Ragousis (Architect)
- Interior Design: MKV – Interior Architectural Design - Maria Vafiadis
- Structural Engineers: Pagonis-Polychronopoulos-KinatosLtd., George Vrochidis
- MEP Engineers: LDK Engineering Consultants S.A.
- Lighting Design: LDI - Lighting Design International
- Acoustics Design: Gottfried Schubert
- Fire & Safety: Anastasios Pirgiotis
- Landscape: Kokorelia Landscape
- Construction Coordination: ECC Engineering Construction & Consulting SA
- Study & Provision of Signage: Brattis Ltd
Hotel Equipment Suppliers:
Furniture: Apostolides/ Ditre Italia, Caleche, Cantori, Casa Di Patsi (Porada), Deloudis, Design Pergola/ Tribu, Echtstahl, Expormim S.A., Exteta, Furniture Gallery, Giopagani, Hamilton Conte Sarl, Hoteline/ Burgess, Kettal, Kourtis, Marelli, Memedesign, Meridiani, Mexil, Mia Collection, Minotti, Moda Bagno Interni (Baxter/ Gallotti), Morgan Contract Furniture, Poliform, Riva Industria/ Purves & Purves, Sato, S-Plasticon SA, Sollos, Syrigou, Tom Faulkner, Varaschin UK, Very Wood, Won Design/ Wendelbo
Lighting: Artemest, Caleche, Clartes, Heathfield, Parachilna Lighting, Prandina Srl, Tom Dixon, Vibia Light/ Box Interiors
Pots: De Castelli, Vondom
Matresses & Bed bases: Group Cofel
Rugs: Nourison Europe
Fabrics & Cushions: Sfakianaki
Mirrors: S-Plasticon SA
Curtains: Vagenas, Weft Print Hellas
Bed Headboards, Curtains, Wallpapers: Weft Print Hellas
