Greek structure workplaces Okay-Studio and Monogon have transformed the deserted Manna Sanatorium in Arcadia, southern Greece, right into a luxurious forest lodge.
Initially constructed within the Nineteen Twenties to provide tuberculosis sufferers entry to the therapeutic energy of nature, the historic construction is now a five-star wellness retreat.
Manna presents 32 rooms fitted out with pure supplies and impartial tones, plus health club and spa amenities and a restaurant targeted on native produce.
The constructing sits inside a fir forest on Mount Mainalo, the tallest peak within the mountainous area.
The design imaginative and prescient set out by Athens-based Okay-Studio was to amplify the sense of sanctuary provided by the distant location and improve the sensation of connection to nature.
Manna proprietor Stratis Batayas, a Greek entrepreneur who had spent his childhood summers within the space, wished to create a year-round vacation spot that stayed true to the constructing’s historical past.
“The consumer’s ambition was to reinterpret the idea of a sanctuary within the mountains with up to date phrases,” reads Okay-Studio’s design assertion.
“The lodge must be a spot for isolation, in addition to community-making and participation within the main actions of on a regular basis residing.”
The renovation was overseen in collaboration with Athens-based Monogon and concerned vital constructing work, together with the reconstruction of a derelict rear wing and the set up of a brand new roof.
When the sanatorium closed – made out of date following the introduction of penicillin in 1938 – the constructing had been emptied to forestall looting. Stone window sills have been stripped out and relocated, whereas the unique roof was eliminated and repurposed on a hospital in close by Tripoli.
Concrete was used to interchange the previous sills, whereas the brand new timber roof was put in over rendered brickwork.
A reconfigured structure gives a brand new entrance on the facet of the constructing.
This leads by way of right into a collection of chic reception and lounge areas the place particulars embrace columns with curved nook reveals, ornate gridded ceilings and a herringbone-patterned hearth.
Manna’s bar may also be discovered right here, that includes neatly crafted joinery. Elsewhere, the restaurant run by chef Athinagoras Kostakos has a extra informal really feel because of an open kitchen.
Artwork is current all through, with works by Greek artist Nikos Kanoglou, painter Joanna Burtenshaw and ceramicist Diane Alexandre.
Bedrooms are positioned on the higher flooring of the principle constructing, together with a brand new attic degree, and on all ranges of the rebuilt northern wing.
Attic rooms provide essentially the most fashionable really feel, extending out to balconies set inside giant gable-ended dormers.
The supplies palette combines brushed timber with earth-toned textiles. Standout options embrace the flowery privateness screens that kind a backdrop to the beds.
Terrazzo flooring is inlaid with marble to outline totally different zones, matching the stone used for wash basins. Room numbers are carved into the ground surfaces in entrance of every room entrance.
“Native craftsmen have been concerned in all building phases, as they bear the knowhow of stoneworks, joinery and even the attribute engraved grouting of the outside stonewalls,” mentioned Okay-Studio.
Manna opened its doorways in the summertime of 2023 and is represented by Design Accommodations, a reserving firm that specialises in design-led retreats.
Okay-Studio co-founder Dimitris Karampataki introduced the undertaking on the 2023 version of The Foyer, an annual hospitality convention in Copenhagen.
He mentioned the design for Manna “embraces the damage and tear, embraces the pure patina”.
“Once we first arrived we noticed one thing, which took a couple of century to make,” he mentioned. “We did not wish to clear it an excessive amount of, to be selective of its heritage. It was extra necessary for us to embrace the entire story.”
Different vacation spot motels to open lately embrace the Six Senses Rome, designed by Patricia Urquiola, and the Sanya Wellness Retreat in Hainan, China, designed by Neri&Hu.
The images is by Ana Santl.
Venture credit
Architectural idea: Okay-Studio
Technical design: Monogon, CS Structure
On-site supervison: Monogon, Okay-Studio
FF&E: Okay-Studio, Monogon
Artwork curation: Joanna Burtenshaw
Branding design: MNP
Surveyor: Ioannis Charbilas
Structural engineer: Niki Psilla
Mechanical engineer: Gerasimos Vasilatos/Alexandra Zachopoulou & Companions
Lighting design: Eleftheria Deko and Associates Lighting Design
Sound marketing consultant: Alpha Acoustiki
Kitchen marketing consultant: Xenex
Panorama architects: H Pangalou & Associates
Principal contractor: CT Development
