A new Cretan hospitality proposal

Edited by: NEXT DESIGN Architectural Office - Manos Leledakis

Architectural designer Next Design is attempting to redefine the term 'hospitality' by delivering a summer utopia on the landscape of Crete, The Syntopia by Orion Hotel, a fresh project that will integrate into the island's landscape and enrich Cretan tourism.

A pure architectural shell, free of unnecessary design information, is enriched with natural forms and materializes forming an organism with pace and intensity.

The boundaries of interior and exterior, natural and artificial, are constantly confused. The intention of the designers was to associate closed and open sections of the hotel with natural and artificial frames. The hotel's communal area extends throughout the outdoor area, directly related to the wet element.

A large aquatic area harmoniously organizes the movement and unification of different expansion areas. Isolated areas of relaxation alternate with higher intensity zones around and along the water body. Existing planting plays a major role in the outdoor layout.

With the ground floor's shared functions developing linearly, the visitor encounters spatial surprises that direct it and associate it with external configurations. The canteen, one of the study's design innovations, connects - in a fun and relaxed way - the restaurant, pool and lobby spaces through the streetstyle it represents. 

The relaxed mood exuded by the overall design, finds a dominant representative in the shaped plate. The imposing scene, in combination with its outdoor bar counter-diametrically, creates a common place of fun and socialization.

Designed for the non-industrialized holiday experience, the design is based on the user's spontaneity in a natural environment. The user is also provided with a more private pool area, outdoor cinema and further relaxation activities designed to balance the private-public relationship.

The earthy atmosphere is attributed to all 119 rooms of the hotel, curated in a boho and ethnic mood. The design team directs a space of serenity and isolation, with the visitor activating all of his senses through the materials and objects he encounters.

Clean design creates spaces of varying degrees of privacy with a clear intention to connect with the outside environment. Relaxation areas, visually connected to the wet element of the pool and the coastal front of Rethymnon.