Kinsterna Hotel & Spa

Monemvasia, Greece

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Kinsterna Hotel & Spa

Monemvasia, Greece

Firm

Divercity Architects

Type

Hospitality + Sport › Hotel Wellness/Spa

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2015

Photos

Cathy Cunliffe (9), Vangelis Paterakis www.studiopaterakis.com (1)

Kinsterna Hotel is a five-star hotel in the Peloponnese, near the Byzantine fortress of Monemvasia. Surrounded by olive and citrus groves, the 17th century estate has a fascinating past, spanning Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian times. Revealing these layers of history was integral to the mansion’s restoration and conversion into a country hotel and spa. Recreating a self-sufficient and sustainable community was an essential part of our mission to revive this long-abandoned landmark.

Kinsterna, cistern in Greek, is named after the water feature at the heart of the property. For centuries, water has breathed life into this fertile landscape from a source high in the mountains, cascading down a creek before it is channelled into the cistern. Water is the central element of the design concept, weaving nature into the architecture and threading the historic and new buildings together. Irrigating the surrounding orchards, vineyards, and kitchen gardens, water also supports the hotel’s environmental philosophy, enabling the revival of traditional activities that were once the lifeblood of the estate, such as wine and olive oil production.

In phase two, we were commissioned to design a substantial extension to accommodate
additional common areas. Designing a modern building alongside a historic mansion, while
remaining sensitive to the natural environment, posed a number of challenges. Our solution
was inspired by the tiled, pitched roofs of Byzantine Monemvasia. We unfolded and extended this recognisable form to create an abstracted roofscape that speaks to the region’s undulating hills, as well as the guest's unfurling journey through the estate. Thanks to careful consideration of the position and geometry of the new building, its large volume almost disappears when viewed from the pool.

CREDITS:
Client: Aighis
Architects (Phase 1): Ergastiri 73 - Apostolos Parpairis & Associates (Developed Design)
Collaborating Architects: Nostos (Technical Design Phase 1 & Phase 2)
Structural Engineer: G. Dimitrakopoulos & Associates (Phase 1) & OTM (Phase 2)
Services Engineer: ENG (Phase 1), GKA engineers
& Nostos S.A. (Phase 2)
Lighting Designer: Diathlasis (Phase 1) & D. Kamba (Phase 2)
Space Consultant: Sofia Vantaraki
Contractor: Nostos
Photos: Cathy Cunliffe, Vangelis
Paterakis & Yiannis Alefantou

Awards: The European Hotel Design Awards / Shortlisted; Conde Nast Traveller, Hot
List of the World’s Best New Hotels