Under the Loggia

The key concept for the development of the hotel project is based on the principles of Venetian style piazzas. The center of the hotel complex is an inner open space courtyard (patio) hosting the pool, the restaurant, the poolbar, surrounded by buildings in different heights, resembling a roman villa. The space in the center will host all public activities of the residents. Local traditional architectural typologies are used in the design of buildings including arcades and arches.

The hotel complex is located in the mainland of Zakynthos and is consisted of three main volumes, an existing three-storey building, a new two-storey building of 12 rooms, with a roof and a new single-floor building housing the reception, the restaurant, the wc and the poolbar.

Zakynthos is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea and a well-known summer resort. The Venetian and byzantine influence is apparent in the whole island despite the serious damages caused by the devastating earthquake in 1953.

The basic feature is a semi-open arcade around the patio consisted of walls full of arches. The main entrance to the complex is through an archway connecting the street with the inner patio. The swimming pool has an asymmetrical organic shape, which is inscribed in a geometric – almost square open space plaza – surrounded by the buildings of the complex. All rooms have view to the central patio.

The arcades are used for shading and with the creation of some shallow water tanks in front of the rooms of the ground floor contribute to ventilation and cooling of the building complex. The pedestrian movement in the complex happens through a number of corridors and staircases shaded with wooden pergolas.

The surface of the walls are covered with naturally based mortar in terracotta and light earth natural shades in accordance with the colors of the environment and the traditional architecture of Zakynthos.