Excelsior Hotel
portfolio
PROJECT IDENTITY:
EXCELSIOR 5*
CATEGORY:
HOTELS EXTENSIONS & RENOVATIONS
LOCATION:
THESSALONIKI
DATE OF PROJECT:
2010
This neoclassical building, constructed in 1928 and heritage listed since 1983, was originally designed as a hotel. Until recently it was occupied by offices and retail stores and it is still unknown today if it ever served as a hotel. During the project, all of the architectural features were preserved and restored to their original form, with the invaluable help of Mrs Kornilia Trakosopoulou Tzimou, archaeologist – architect, and ordered of the Ephorate of Contemporary and Modern Monuments for Central Macedonia. In more detail, a small-scale extension was added on the 4th floor, without impacting the existing architectural finishes and the decorative elements, in order to achieve total symmetry. The symmetrical, three-fold facade toward the square on the crossway of Mitropoleos Street and Komninon Street was restored according to the original designs of the building’s first architect Asser Matalon. The building is comprised of four floors. The first three are identical and host twenty seven rooms, while the fourth is slightly recessed and hosts seven rooms. The entrance is located on Mitropoleos Street and leads to the reception area. The ground floor also hosts a restaurant – cafe with its entrance on Komninon Street. A tear in the mezzanine floor along the three-fold facade allows a visual connection between the breakfast area and the ground floor below. The building’s decoration and furnishing are clearly minimalist and contemporary. Therefore, the rooms and the common areas are allowed to dominate and achieve their ultimate functionality without being upstaged by the carefully chosen objects. The project was delivered in collaboration with 3SK Stylianidis Architects in 2010.
