Greek beauty… Monday
A week dedicated to Greek architects.
This week I will show you traditional spaces in Greek islands,
created by Greek architects.
I hope you like it!
Enjoy…
The concept of Melanopetra boutique hotel
Melanopetra is uniquely situated in the core of the preserved traditional village Emporios in Nisyros, at an altitude of about 400 meters above the caldera. It is an atmospheric two-storey stone building, built-up around 1850 and totally restored in 2015 under due diligence with respect to the Nisyrian architecture using only Eco friendly primary materials. Its name is inspired from the main building material, the local black stone, further enhancing its character.
The idea of the project was realized by the owner and architect, Anna Apostolou, who combined her art and love of authenticity and simple beauty with high-quality hospitality.
The boutique hotel is comprised of two luxury apartments, ample in size, one in each floor, with private entrance and yard. The white minimal interiors with smooth curved edges, rough textured surfaces and simple deco gives you a relaxing ambience and an enjoyable atmosphere. Earthy colors and shades of white are combined with careful touches of linen and cotton fabrics, traditional preserved elements, as well as modern equipment in simple forms.
The clear, bright natural light flowing through the small windows brings the texture of the white spaces to life and creates a harmonic, magical ambiance. In the sculpture-like bathroom downstairs you can listen to the running water in the preserved underground cistern used for the collection of rain water from the roof. The combination of local volcano stone and minimalist white interiors offers a unique and luxurious relaxing shelter.
The elegant hotel with its surrounding spaces stands like magnificent sculpture which is designed so that each apartment enjoys the same exceptional views. Its location within the stone-built settlement with terraced houses and narrow streets as well as the breathtaking view of the Aegean sea and the volcanic aura, create a truly unique atmosphere around the villa, seemingly untouched by time.
Melanopetra emerging from the rocky volcanic landscape, is a small paradise in itself, exuding subtle luxury, eternal elegance and harmony, part of a truly original environment, both natural and constructed.
The architectural restoration
The originally dilapidated structure of 115 square meters total surface area was built-up in the middle of the 19th century from black volcanic rock. The two-story residence was restored to its original form and turned into an atmospheric boutique hotel of two independent luxury apartments, under due diligence with respect to the Nisyrian architecture using only eco-friendly primary materials.
The high-quality restoration preserves and reveals all the traditional elements. The interior spaces combine the eternal style of traditional Greek architecture with modern minimalist decoration using wood, stone, polished cement, and built-in furniture in white and earthy colors. Original elements have been incorporated into the design and the old oven is now part of the kitchen and the bathroom while the stone stairs that originally connected the two floors are integrated into the bathroom downstairs. The old fireplaces constitute the main heating source to both floors.
The simplicity of the design and the purity of forms and volumes are in harmony with the particular local idiom. The plasticity of the small spaces is highlighted by laid-out levels in the interior with built-in furniture and modern equipment. The natural light flowing in via the small windows plays a light-shadow game with the textured white walls of visible limed stone masonry and the rough light-colored surfaces made of wood or polished cement bringing to the fore the details.
Visible stonework with filled joints dominates the exterior of the house, visually unifying it with the landscape. The soft artificial lighting has been though studied so as to discretely accent the texture of the walls.
The outdoor spaces comprise of coated built-in levels, steps, and stone sofas, all integrated in rock formations, bringing a sculptural quality to the natural geometry. The raw structural simplicity and the consistency of materials and engravings on all levels aim to a smooth transition from the exterior to the interior and from the natural to constructed item.
It is about a discreet architectural gesture resulting from a respect towards structural authenticity and the use of ageless materials, and giving prominence to traditional elements through simple means of expression and the use of both natural and artificial lighting.
The restoration project was implemented through European co-financing as a contribution to the sustainable development of the island.
So, if you love it you can book it here
