The study for the AVANT MAR hotel in Naoussa, Paros started in March 2020 and the project was completed in July 2023.
The hotel consists of a contrasting composition of cubic prisms, situated right next to the settlement and a composition of circular volumes found in contact with Piperi beach and its lush greenery. In between the two opposing components a 55-meter-long swimming pool is created. Through an elongated ramp with a transparent boundary of glass, the large pool appears to be connecting the hotel with the sea. Watery blue-green, Cycladic white and sandy tones make up the color palette of the resort - with the sandy tones passing through to the materiality of the floors, the pergolas and the public areas of the restaurant and the spa area. The latter is also circular and hides an indoor, sheltered oasis of relaxation. A promenade that starts from the main entrance and passes through the small pastry shop’s piazza, continues over the successive, planted hedges of the restaurant to finally offer the visitor a panoramic view of the blue Aegean Sea and its northern breeze.
The central idea for the hotel’s interior architectural design was the connection with the local heritage in a contemporary way: Formations with arches and recesses in the walls, semi-circular sections, cubic structures combined with geometrical patterns and irregular shapes. These are reinterpreted and reproduced on a smaller scale in the interior design of the hotel, with custom-made curvilinear furniture as well as with horizontal and vertical surfaces’ reliefs. The polymorphic relief of the island’s landscape gave rise to the change in the texture of the architectural surfaces from hard to soft, from rough to smooth and from warm to cool. In addition, a particular objective in the design of the hotel’s rooms was to transfer the light of the summer sun into the interior, by the predominance of a palette of light colors and the creation of natural passages of light and air in the interior spaces.
The reception area where plants are dominant acts as a first stop on one’s way to the rest of the spaces. In the bedrooms, white marble with soft water formations was chosen as the main material. The flooring installed both in private rooms and in the interior common spaces of the hotel is a modern version of the traditional paving of the island's settlements, this time with irregular slabs of white marble and off-white joints.
The furniture and equipment were designed in such a way as to allow integration with the initial architecture of the hotel, bringing back its curves and circular shapes. Natural materials such as solid oak and perforated mats were chosen in earthly tones.
AVANT MAR hosts the internationally renowned Japanese restaurant Matsuhisa which was designed as a square in a lush garden, next to the beach of Naoussa. The floor of the square is dominated by traditional paving which acts as a continuation of the island's paved lanes and is interrupted by bands of white marble separating the areas of movement and relaxation. The low walls with recesses and circular parts define the seating areas. The circular bar counter is clad in a cast white structure with recesses and folds and stands out in the center of the square. For the mobile equipment, soft lines and wooden frames of cylindrical sections integrate a Japanese aesthetic into the overall image of the space.
Suppliers & Contributors:
Architects in charge__Tense Architecture Network: Tilemachos Andrianopoulos, Stelios Stylianou, Mikelina Karydi
Project Team: Iris Moustaka, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Stavroula Tselou, Christos Voutsas, Dimitra Charmantzi, Athena Papadopoulou, Thomas Gkikas, Emmanouil Symiakakis, Vasiliki Paraskevopoulou, Nestoras Skantzouris, Konstantinos Kosmas, Dafni Drayiou, Georgia Katsi, Leonidas Oikonomis, Evi Vardaka, Anastasia Ftouli, Sotiris Tragazikis, Aakash Balasaravanan, Alessandro Tiezzi
Interior Design and Layout, Furniture Curation and Art Direction: Chadios Architects
Design Team: Konstantinos Chadios, Peny Papargyropoulou, Elena Mitkaki, Konstantinos Lavranos, Jannis Aivatzidis, Thanos Stavelas, Amalia Stavropoulou, Evdokia Patkou.
Building Technology Consultant: Panagiotis Vasilatos
Structural Design: Manios Emmanouil_MV P.C.
Electromechanical Engineering: Athanasios Koutsikos_TEMEK S.A.
Landscape Design: Tsirintani Eleni
Acoustic Design: Tzekakis Emmanouil_ΜΜΤ S.A.
Lighting Design: LUUN
Graphic Design: Bob Studio
Consultants: Studio 265 Architecture
Owner: Grivalia Hospitality SA Development
Project Management and Construction: Grivalia Hospitality SA
Technical Director: Ioannis Kareliotis
Head of Construction: Aristotelis Papaevangeliou
EPC Management construction of Room’s Interiors: Vector
PM&Construction Team: Ariadni Alexopoulou, Konstantinos Anastasakos, Fotini Tsourbatsopoulou, Petros Antoniou, Michael Karavas, Therapon Fakas
