INTERVIEW WITH ARIS GIANNOPOULOS

We discussed with Aris Giannopoulos, architect, curator of the 100% Hotel Design Awards and contributor at Archisearch.gr about his views on hotel design, the events that will be held on this matter and a few more things!

 

 

I’m an architect engineer and I studied Architecture in the National Technical University of Athens in Greece. Architecture is a constant effort to express emotions and images through spatial planning. It is not static & is not formed by a certain vocabulary that follows you forever. I have always been interested in the simplicity of the architectural forms, the holistic yet bespoke design. The process is exciting when it involves a unique project, a unique client and myself; and to satisfy this need is my personal quest.

 

 

I’m the founder & lead architect of WoARCHITECTS, an architectural practice which specializes in residential & hotel projects. I’m also Head of New Business Development/Hotel Division in CONCIERGE Concept & Communication Development, a company that develops concepts in the tourism industry, with services that range from the creation of a concept of a hotel to its architectural study, building, interior design all the way to branding and communication strategy. It’s a 360o approach, unique in Greece and rare in Europe.

 

 

I was fortunate to start designing hotels since the beginning of my career immediately after my studies. The first project I had to deal with, was a project regarding a large luxury hotel in Kefalonia island. Soon, many synergies with tourism experts arose who gave me the opportunity to get a more robust view of all aspects of a hotel, such as sales, F&B, housekeeping, marketing etc thus helped me design hotels that besides aesthetically pleasant to the eye were also functional & sustainable.

 

 

Basic principles in the hotel design do exist. The hotel is a dynamic business that has to a. offer an added value to guests` stay & b. be sustainable. So the architectural design should cover these two dominant needs. The design of the lobby or a suite is just as important as the design of the back-of-the-house department. But the most basic element is the very concept of a hotel. Elements such as its location, to whom it is addressed, who is the owner and his personal ambition are extremely important. The architectural design has to stand out and bring out all these elements optimally.

 

 

That’s not entirely correct. It is true that in some places, luxury hotels are unaffordable for the majority of Greeks. However, they address to affluent travelers around the globe. Their target group is not the Greek population only. On the other hand, in other areas of Greece, there are luxury hotels that are affordable or to put it in the right terms, offer value for money.

In addition to that, unlike the current perception that fine design is unaffordable, this is slowly changing. Our generation is so much different than the previous ones. We have travelled all over the world, we have lived abroad and experienced many different things. All these elements are our heritage and this is the way to change our nation’s mentality. 

 

Among other things, you will contribute to our web platform, Archisearch.gr, with a brand new column, which is about to showcase design hotels. Tell us about this cooperation.

 

I am very happy about this cooperation. The purpose of the column is to highlight hotels, practices and professionals that contribute creatively in the hotel design and move it forward. It will consist of a series of articles and interviews with main objective to strengthen the quality of hotel design and the presentation of stories that were previously unknown to the public.

 

 

The main goal of the 100% Hotel Design Awards is to showcase exceptional designs & hotels by Greek architects & designers. The jury, which consists of professionals that have experience from different business areas, makes us believe that the final result will meet with the greatest success in the objectives of the awards. The jury will look for key elements of high quality design in the nominee hotels. Besides the overall architectural impression, features that are very important are the incorporation of the hotel to the environment, the holistic approach of the design and the eco-friendly character of the project.

 

 

The subject of the conference is of high importance for all aspects of the Greek tourism industry. It is about glocalization, which refers to the practice of conducting business according to both local and global considerations, and the creation of the lifetime experience. The global trend has led from the fragmented selection of a hotel or an attraction, to seeking a holistic experience into or starting from the hotel. This nowadays penetrates not only the function of the hotel but the basic design and its direct connection to the place where it is located. The aim is, through the knowledge of the lecturers (Maya Tsoclis, Dimitris Savvakos, Dimitris Stefanidis & Dimitris Karampatakis), to present models that create interactions and reporting lines between the hotel, the room, the location, the culture & the civilization.