A Gate and a Canopy / Astir Palace
Gate and Entrance Canopy for 5-Star Hotel complex / High Commendation World Architecture Festival, 2008 / Mies Van Der Rohe European Architecture Award (Nomination) 2009 / Special Mention, Hellenic Institute of Architecture, 2008
Astir Palace is a luxury resort 25km away from the centre of Athens. During its phase of renovation, we were asked to design an entrance Gate and to upgrade the entrance of the Nafsika Hotel (the Canopy). In both cases we designed an interface.
For the Gate, an existing huge ficus tree on site defined a point of reference. Two inlets in mild curves, one transparent, the other opaque, fluid space, vertical metal grids, a continuous curve that unfolds in order to create the in-between. Steel structure painted white, transparent and semi-transparent glass, white matte marble on the floor.
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Originating at the Gate, the undulating white metal forms took over on the roof of Nafsika Hotel and then, grew out to form the Canopy. The curved form of the canopy extends on the two sides to create a sense of enclosure, with the white columns introducing strong verticality.
