The Social Athens adds an exciting hospitality option to the scene for the waves of Greekenders getting ready to descend on the Mediterranean capital as weather warms up. Just launched in the city's central, upmarket Kolonaki district, the new property represents the transformation of a tired, existing 1960s public building into a thoroughly contemporary hospitality hub for the Radisson Individuals member hotel. Conceived by Greek-Swedish studio OOAK architects, The Social Athens blends modern design, prime location, and a strong hospitality pedigree behind a distinctive wavy façade that stands out among its more conventional peers.
The Social Athens by OOAK
The architects, headed by studio founders Maria Papafigou and Johan Annerhed, are also behind idyllic residences, such as a rooftop retreat and a windsurfer's escape, both on the island of Karpathos. Here, they drew on their extensive experience with private residential projects to craft the perfect design-led home away from home in the heart of Athens. '[We] drew inspiration from the synergetic effect of a genuine urban Athenian experience and the need for an elegant and tranquil hotel stay as counterbalance,' the team explain.
The refreshed building features 24 rooms in a boutique, four-star environment. An open and transparent towards the street ground level contains the hotel lobby as well as a new restaurant and bar space, which invite the neighbourhood in. Spanning seven, meticulously designed storeys, The Social Athens balances a vibrant, social aspect with more secluded rooms upstairs, leading up to a striking roof terrace, looking out towards Athens' hills and myriad landmarks. A gym is also located on the rooftop level.
However, The Social Athens' most visually standout element remains its curvaceous façade. Made of a crisp, white thermal insulation panel system, united with green foliage, it creates a memorable sense of arrival as guests approach the hotel. 'The new façade makes clear allusions to Greek architecture and has accentuated the hotel’s arrival in the city,' the architects write.
-
An eco-conscious reconfiguration of space revives a London homeAn eco-conscious reimagining of a Victorian terraced home for a growing London family, THISS Studio’s Hartley House offers sustainable, spacious living
-
A guide to the best fashion stores Copenhagen has to offerWallpaper* picks the must-visit fashion stores in Copenhagen – from big-name boutiques and historic department stores to local labels and the best in second-hand, each presenting a fresh take on Danish design
-
Indian studio Compartment S4 celebrates architectural collaborationCompartment S4, the Indian architecture studio out of Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is true to its collective nature
-
A breezy Greek island retreat lets the outdoors inOpen to the elements, an island retreat in Corfu by Invisible Studio was designed to suit the local climate, using metal mesh screens rather than windows
-
A Corfu house balances local vernacular and 21st-century minimalismCorfu House, a sensitive and minimalist holiday home, has been recently completed on the Greek island as a collaboration between architects Tony Wynbourne, Georgios Apostolopoulos and engineer Makis Gisdakis
-
Piraeus Tower is a Greek high-rise icon revived through sustainable strategiesThe restoration of the Piraeus Tower is completed in Greece, revealing a revived façade by local architecture studio PILA
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
Tour House D in Athens, where interiors are peachy keenDesigned by Cometa Architects, House D in Athens is full of curvy, colourful character
-
Three Object Apartment embraces raw concrete honesty in the heart of AthensThree Object Apartment by DeMachinas is a raw concrete home in Athens, which confidently celebrates its modernist bones
-
Residence in Dionysos was conceived as a minimalist ‘cave refuge’ outside AthensResidence in Dionysos by Desypri & Misiaris Architecture is a family home designed as a minimalist refuge among the surrounding nature's pine tree-filled slopes
-
This Greek villa's superyacht aesthetics conceal two self-contained family residencesA Greek villa in the upscale Athens suburb of Filothei, House Symbiosis is home for two sibling families, designed in white, sweeping volumes by Direction Architects
