Adaptive reuse—the architectural strategy of repurposing unused buildings into spaces used for completely different functions—is sweeping the hotel industry. It’s not just a passing fad. Savvy travelers are increasingly seeking out more distinct destinations that can fulfill this collective desire for experience, which seems to be replacing the outdated tendency to accumulate material possessions.
This approach answers the demand manifold. It also makes sense when you consider how quickly raw materials – building materials – run out and that there is more than enough existing ‘stuff’ to work with in the built environment. Hospitality seems like the right field to better articulate this mindset and make it more widely understood. There’s also plenty of “material” to work with when it comes to formulating compelling narratives, the type visitors are now looking for.
Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is a shining example. Overlooking the Ionian Sea on the west coast of the Peloponnese Region of Greece, this simply decorated luxury resort makes the most of its wine-growing origins. Its industrial architecture, surprisingly, is the best poised to frame the stunning landscape around it. Alongside the push for systematized hyper-efficiency, the goal of modernist work was ultimately to create almost seamless connections between indoor and outdoor spaces.
The story here is rich and deep-rooted, but it doesn’t need to be expressed in overly obvious or kitschy detail. No, there are no paintings of grapes – what was once grown here. Nor are there any expressive depictions of vines that are not as subtle as the fabric motifs. The nods to the past are just plain obvious in the unadulterated and carefully updated existing architecture. With the introduction of the eight new Seaview Terrace Suites, the large wine tanks – inherently protected in their form – have taken on new purpose and relevance.
This clever intervention ties in well with the history of resilient adaptation that has defined the site over the past two centuries. After its liberation in 1830, Greece and especially this region went through a period of abundant raisin cultivation. It was the country’s main export, but by 1910, demand collapsed. With the locals having to change gears quickly, they developed a new winemaking industry. The Tanks were one of the first processing facilities, placed close to the sea so that ships could load directly from the aforementioned tanks. Although this second wind of ingenuity lasted only 10 years—with the country plunging into another period of turmoil—the strategy made sense. And although the facility remained untouched or used from the 1920s onwards, the strategy still makes sense today.
Dexamenes Seaside Hotel opened for the first time in 2019 after a painstaking renovation process. Athens-based architecture firm K-Studio had taken a lightly surgical approach in which sections of concrete walls that were cut to make way for floor-to-ceiling windows were reused in other parts of the project. As terrace surfaces, With custom furniture fitted into an almost exoskeletal system of metal tubes floating above weathered surfaces and textured glass walls, the Brutalist buildings were left intact. A place that was once home to the bustling activity of wine processing and storage has become a peaceful retreat.
The same integrated approach was applied in the recent addition of eight Seaview Terrace Suites. These accommodations – occupying a new structure placed on top of the tanks – have the best views. Each features generous verandas enclosed by pergola-like wooden canopies. The choice of material complements and contrasts with the prevalence of concrete everywhere else.
This addition also coincided with the opening of the dex.Silo.01 culinary space, making — like most spaces here — clever use of a tank silo. Depending on the cycles of the moon and according to an ever-changing menu, the raw curved wall—which frames a massive skylight—hosts carefully planned video projections and other types of programming.
What: Dexamenes Seaside Hotel
Where: Kourouta, Greece
How many: $185 per night
Design drawings: A converted Brutalist-style wine processing facility from the early 20th century has been transformed into a luxury seaside resort with subtle design interventions that imbue the space with a sense of tranquility.
Make a reservation: Dexamenes Seaside Hotel
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Photo by Claus Brechenbacher and Rainer Baumann
