Boutique Hotel “The Alex” is a restoration of an ‘80s hotel on Kastella hill, in order to be the new landmark of Piraeus, due to the unique panoramic view that offers from Parnitha to Saronic Gulf and the Athenian Riviera.

Our goal was to design a comfort city hotel, which due to its rather prominent location, had to frame the sea view, while at the same time being part of the urban fabric. This philosophy was expressed through the interventions that took place both in the shell of the building as well as in the interior design of the public areas and the rooms.

The concept of “framing” was depicted on the facade as a three-dimensional grid which is defined by the unit – the room. Guided by the view, the frame of each room “opens” to the sea creating a funnel, which also functions as a privacy filter and at the same time gives rhythm and scale to the view.

Framing concept is also repeated in the design of the rooms. Metal frames form the boundaries of the open cabinets and the bed, creating view frames, while the wooden floor and the oak cabinet create a balanced contrast with the metal. The same concept applies to bathroom accessories as well with clean lines in shades of gray.

In the corridors of the hotel, movement and accesses are emphasized by a black line that leads to the entrance of the room. The minimal aesthetic of the corridors with monochrome options and linear directions in the lighting creates an interesting dialogue with the warm atmosphere of the interior of the room.

The public areas of the reception, the all day café on the ground floor and the restaurant on the roof top, share the same design concept, based on wall coverings with vertical wooden slats, wooden cladding in the living rooms and a dark floor with large tiles. Through “The Botanist” and “Nest” the hotel introduces the visitor into welcoming spaces that maintain the character of the urban luxury of the hotel while ensuring the visual continuity with the city.