Hotelia
2015
Thessaloniki, Greece

A major focus point and the core of this year’s exhibition of hotel equipment and furniture “Hotelia” has been the presentation of an ambitious collective project entitled “Greek Hospitality Design Spirit” which was curated by the architectural studio Minas Kosmidis (Architecture in Concept) in collaboration with industrial designers Sotiris Lazou and Andreas Varotsos. Additionally, the workgroup was complemented by other professionals derived from diverse fields, such as painters, photographers, graphic and sound designers. The realization of the project was accomplished with the dynamic and substantial contribution of companies-sponsors which provided the necessary raw materials, lighting equipment and furniture and were also responsible for the construction of the pavilion.

The goal of the pavilion was to “travel” the visitors in a figurative way by making them walk through a downhill path, starting from the Greek mountain and ending up to the Greek sea. During this course, five different concepts were developed (mountain, agriculture, urban, island, and seaside) which aspired to create a representative and distinct feeling for each and every one of these five different typologies of hotels and tourism, based on their season, their location and environment. For the realization of this characteristic mood in each of these five different concepts contributed the interior design and furnishing of each individual space. Moreover the lighting, the sound and musical composition and finally distinguishing scents of various products that were used, played a major role simulating in the best possible way the experience of visitors by stimulating all of their senses.

After all, the spirit of Greek design in all its expressions was present in order to tangibly prove that during hard times Greeks become even more creative and innovative, transfusing into the meaning of the Greek word “philoxenia” not just our traditional but also our contemporary culture. The substantial goal of the project’s workgroup was to pass on professionals of the Greek tourism industry the message that design can become a very effective “tool” for the improvement of hospitality services in our country with the ultimate objective of not only attracting more tourists but more importantly becoming a touristic destination of high quality.