Old Wine Tanks Become Suites at this Ionian Sea Resort

Adaptive reuse—the architectural strategy of repurposing disused buildings into spaces used for entirely different functions—is sweeping the hotel industry. It’s not just a passing fad. Consummate travelers are in search of increasingly distinct destinations that can fulfill that collective desire for experience, one that seems to be replacing the outdated propensity to amass material possessions.

This approach answers the demand manyfold. It also just makes sense when considering how quickly raw resources—building materials—are depleting and that there’s more than enough existing “material” to work with in the built environment. Hospitality seems like the right sector to best articulate this mindset and for it to be more widely understood. There is also plenty of “material” to work with when it comes to formulating compelling narratives, the type guests are now seeking.

Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is a shining example. Facing the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece’s Peloponnese Region, this sparingly decorated luxury resort makes the most of its winery origins. Its industrial architecture is, surprisingly, best poised to frame the stunning landscape in its environs. Alongside a push for systemized hyper-efficiency, the aim of the modernist project after-all, was to create near seamless connections between the indoors and outdoors.

The history here is rich and deeply rooted but doesn’t need to be expressed in overly explicit or kitschy detail. No, there aren’t any paintings of grapes—what was once grown here. Nor are there expressive depictions of vines not so subtly brought-in as fabric motifs. Nods to the past are simply apparent in the unadulterated and carefully updated existing architecture. With the introduction of eight new Seaview Terrace Suites, large wine tanks—inherently sheltering in their form—have been given new purpose and relevance.

This clever intervention ties in well with the story of resilient adaptation that has defined the locale for the past two centuries. After its liberation in 1830, Greece and this region in particular went through a period of abundant currant cultivation. It was the country’s main export but by 1910, demand collapsed. With locals having to quickly shift gears, they developed a new wine making industry. Dexamenes was one of the first processing facilities, positioned near the sea so that ships could directly load-up from the previously mentioned tanks. Though this second wind of ingenuity only lasted 10 years—with the country falling into another period of unrest—the strategy made sense. And though the facility remained untouched or used from the 1920s onward, the strategy makes sense again today.

Dexamenes Seaside Hotel first opened in 2019 after a painstaking renovation process. Athens-based architecture firm K-Studio had adopted a light-touch, surgical approach in which the portions of concrete walls cut-out to make way for floor-to-ceiling windows were reused in other segments of the project; as terrace surfacing, With custom furnishings fitting into an almost extra-skeletal metal pipe system floating above weathered surfaces and textured glass insert walls, the brutalist buildings were all but left intact. A place that once played host to the hurried activity of processing and storing wine became a calm retreat.

The same comprehensive approach was applied when more recently adding the eight Seaview Terrace Suites. These accommodations—occupying a new structure placed atop the tanks—have the best views. Each comes with generous verandas enclosed by wooden, pergola-like canopies. The choice of material both compliments and contrasts the prevalence of concrete everywhere else.

This addition was also joined by the opening of the dex.Silo.01 culinary space, making—like most venues here—clever use of a tank silo. Depending on moon cycles and according to an ever-changing menu, the raw curved wall—delineating a massive skylight of sorts—plays host to carefully composed video projections and other types of programing.

What: Dexamenes Seaside Hotel
Where: Kourouta, Greece
How much: $185 per night
Design draws: A converted brutalist-style wine processing facility from the early 20th century turned into a luxury seaside resort with subtle design interventions imbuing the space with a sense of calm.
Book it: Dexamenes Seaside Hotel

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Photography by Claus Brechenbacher and Rainer Baumann

Adrian Madlener is a Brussels-born, New York-based writer specializing in collectible and sustainable design. With a particular focus on topics that exemplify the best in craft-led experimentation, he’s committed to supporting talents that push the envelope in various disciplines.