Theatre director and interior designer extraordinaire Antonis Kalogridis is behind the fascinating interiors of the Panoptis Escape on Elia Beach and O by Myconian Collection at Ornos beach.
Working on the new, amazing hotels of the Myconian Collection Hotels & Resorts is his way of bringing about the spaces he has always wanted to have available to him; spaces as the ones Antonis Kalogridis designed for Panoptis Escape at Elia beach and O by Myconian Collection that can take their surroundings and their guests further.
How would you summarize the concept of the two hotels that you recently designed, their main characteristics, the spirit of their decoration?
For O by Myconian located on Ornos Bay, the concept is very much based on a stylish beachfront resort. Its design reflects the concept of slow luxury filled living where all the senses are reawakened. The “green” design ethos that we based our design philosophy upon showcases the beauty of natural materials in their raw state. Almost earthy in feel, we have used a design language that is deeply rooted in the timeless appeal of Hellenic antiquity and the primitive luxury of Greek island life. As for the Panoptis Escape, with its high location above Elia Beach, we wanted to create a more roughly hewn bohemian atmosphere where guests can truly enjoy Mykonos’s famous winds and intense sunshine. It’s utterly luxurious whilst being almost wild like the island itself.
Every accommodation here is so different and individual, made up of surprising textures and colour palettes. How are they similar and different from the other properties in the Myconian Collection’s portfolio?
I would say that O by Myconian and Panoptis Escape are similar in how they are expertly run and their level of service but differ in terms of their holistic concept and nature based philosophy. O by Myconian really is the type of property where you can comfortably wonder around barefoot from your suite to the beach and back again, while Panoptis Escape almost lifts you up into the sky due to its high location, it’s so quiet even though it’s only a few minutes away from Mykonos Town.
Where do the materials that are used come from? How do you justify the choice of these materials in particular?
We source a lot of our materials locally so they are in touch with the local vernacular – such as unprocessed woods, stone, rocks, raffia textures and plants. The design for O by Myconian relied very much on marble, while a greater emphasis was placed on using wood for Panoptis Escape – both materials were used in large quantities. All of the design details and furniture were crafted by Greek craftsmen exclusively for the hotels, making them totally unique in that sense.