The history of Dexamenes Seaside Hotel dates back to the Era of Currants. Since the liberation of Greece in 1830, the cultivation of currants took on impressive dimensions, and currants were the main export product of the Greek Kingdom. But when the Currants’ Crisis broke out in 1910 in Greece, the trade of currants collapsed and there was a need to convert the unsold stock of currants into alternative products, such as wine. This was when the first wineries and distilleries were created.

Dexamenes Seaside Hotel, designed by Athens-based K-Studio, opened in May 2019 on Kourouta Beach in the western Peloponnese region of Greece, transforming an abandoned 1920s winery into a luxury retreat. Wineries like this one were built on the seashore so ships could be loaded with wine directly from the tanks. The derelict, industrial structures that characterize the site were left relatively untouched since the 1920s, sitting quietly on one of the most unspoiled and beautiful stretches of coastline in the western Peloponnese region.

From the outset, it was clear the strong history and raw beauty of the existing buildings should not only be preserved but also showcased in a design that would breathe new life into these walls. A complementary palette of concrete, steel, timber and engineered glass ensures new construction elements tread lightly, leaving existing buildings relatively untouched and retaining their strong presence.

© Breba Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann Photography

The discreet entrance point to the hotel is from the adjacent road, where you are greeted by the first of two elegant pavilions, attached to the original concrete tank buildings. With the glass partitions fully opened, you step onto the concrete slab and enter the reception area where, if you have arrived in the evening, the glow of the louvered plywood canopy is a warm welcome, and if you arrive during the day, the cool of the shade it creates offers welcome respite from the heat.

Dominating the site are two concrete blocks each divided lengthwise into two rows of 10 wine storage tanks. These tanks were perfectly sized to become hotel rooms, each with en-suite bathroom and shaded patio. The space between the two blocks has been transformed from an industrial scrapyard into a peaceful, meditative courtyard garden. A shallow pool separates the two rows of rooms. The impressive steel drums that give the hotel its characteristic logo have been delicately preserved and stand proud in the water. Thick slabs of concrete have been placed in the water like stepping stones, so guests might enter the drums and experience the way light and acoustics play over their concave walls. Local grape and currant varieties are becoming well established along the edges of the garden and will gradually make their contribution to the microclimate and productivity of the hotel.

© Breba Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann Photography

The courtyard tank rooms are identical in their ergonomic layout. Original features such as the manholes and pipes in the façade of each tank and patina of the internal wall surfaces have been preserved. Inside, a narrow black steel framework collects together the various, beautifully detailed elements within the 323-square-foot space, organizing them with Zen-like precision. Textured glass brings light through from the bedroom and dressing areas into the bathroom.

The internal layout of the seafront tanks makes the most of their immediate connection to the beach, with beds looking directly out over the water, and a privately framed view of the sunset from beneath the canopied patio.

© Breba Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann Photography

In addition to the tank rooms, their pavilions and the courtyard garden, the two original stone out-buildings have been carefully converted to provide the hotel with in-house dining and event facilities.

The taverna features an open kitchen with a communal dining table for wine tastings and cooking workshops, and an external dining terrace where guests can enjoy meals prepared with local ingredients. Facing the terrace and kitchen is a large cultural building fully equipped to host artistic events of various scales, such as exhibitions, workshops or lectures. The hotel has an ongoing program of arts events, with resident artists presenting performances, installations and exhibitions throughout the summer season.

Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is about a three-hour drive from Athens.