Located in the village of Oia on the island of Santorini, Greece, Canaves Hotel, designed by Kapsimalis Architects, occupies a site overlooking the Caldera, with direct views toward the volcano and the Aegean Sea. The project combines a preserved traditional cave house with a newly constructed complex of five hotel rooms. The architectural intervention proposes a contemporary strategy of integrating hospitality functions within the morphological and spatial framework of the village.
The entrance to the hotel rooms takes place from its west and north side, via the public pedestrian street and through the two main exterior staircases of the complex. Taking into account the shape of the plot, the slope of its natural terrain, its relation with the pedestrian street, and the neighboring properties, as well as the optimal orientation towards the view, the inpidual rooms of the hotel complex were placed in a stepped manner and in a rhythmic backsliding and twist from each other. Specifically, the complex consists of four rooms on four different levels in the ground floor, and one room on two different levels on the upper floor. Each room of the ground floor comprises an open plan living space and bedroom area with its bathroom, as well as a private exterior yard with its lounge area and its plunge pool. The upper floor’s room comprises a living room and a bedroom with its bathroom, as well as two private exterior verandas with lounge areas and one semi-open plunge pool space.
Kapsimalis Architects Studio’s design aims to create a composition of rooms-cubist prisms, with reference to the scale and form of the existing white cubist architecture of the traditional village, and on the specific typology needs of the hospitality use. In the context of accomplishing the desired view and microclimate, the openings of the complex are designed with certain geometries and proportions, so as to contribute to the fluidity of the internal & external space. Parts of freestanding exterior walls, placed vertically between the yards, as well as scattered green elements, contribute to the pision of exterior areas, without obstructing the view and the natural light. The composition through the creative reinterpretation and interrelation of the above reference points leads to the formation of a balanced net of forms and spaces with a minimalist architectural identity.
Concerning the interior of the hotel complex, off-white smooth plaster for the walls, local cement plaster for some built furniture, large slabs of dark grey marble for the floors, dark stained oak, metal works and perse kinds of marbles for custom furniture, fabrics with different textures, mirrors, ceramic decorative pots and plates, lights made by opal glass, metal and marble, are the materials that shape the inner space and the objects that have been collected. The outer space moves in the same direction, as the colour of the exterior wall is a warm white, and its floor is a continuity of the indoor floor. The approach of the interior design is to offer an eclectic, unique style and discreet elegance that pair harmoniously with the exterior forms of the architectural composition.
▲ 客房成阶梯状旋转布局,获得最佳景观视野
room volumes are arranged in a stepped, twisted configuration
▲ 建筑大厅出入口位于北侧和西侧,并设有楼梯便于上下通行
public access is provided via staircases on the north and west sides
▲ 5间客房顺着倾斜地势以阶梯形态错落有致的排布
five guest rooms cascade across the sloping terrain
▲ 每间客房均设有私人泳池和休闲庭院
each ground-floor unit includes a private plunge pool and lounge yard
▲ 私人泳池和露台的设计增强了空间私密性的同时,又可将室外景观引入室内,提升室内舒适度
plunge pools and terraces enhance privacy and outdoor living
▲ 建筑外观为白色极简主义风格,保持着当地的传统色彩,并与周边景观互为融合
minimalist white facades maintain harmony with the local context
▲ 建筑立面的窗户尺寸和阳台位置经过精心设计,可成为观海景的最佳视野处
balconies and openings are proportioned to frame sea views
▲ 每间客房的阳台均设置有分户墙,划分空间的同时也不会遮挡阳光
freestanding walls define outdoor spaces without blocking light
▲ 室内采用米白色石膏板饰面,地板为深色大理石,颜色界定分明,可在室内塑造不同的质感
off-white plaster walls and dark marble floors define the interiors
▲ 室内定制家具以深色橡木、金属与本地石材打造质感细节
custom furniture uses dark oak, metal, and locally sourced stone
▲ 室内饰面为简约风格,并在其中融入不同质感的家具摆设,在简约基调中融入丰富的触感体验
interior finishes balance simplicity with tactile richness
▲ Kapsimalis建筑事务所在设计时始终保持以统一材质基调贯穿整体的设计理念
Kapsimalis Architects’ design maintains a consistent material palette throughout
▲ 该项目设计旨在将室内与室外紧密联系起来
the project achieves a strong connection between the interior and exterior realms