Page 151 - ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL 2022

ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL
architecture "AT O BY MYCONIAN COLLECTION LOCATED
AT ORNOS BAY ON MYKONOS, THE CHALLENGE

WAS TO TRIUMPH IN CREATING A LUXURY BEACHFRONT
means it takes as much to put it back together”. Beauty in the
Cyclades is always raw and therefore always present. If you ap- RESORT WHERE THERE WAS AN EVIDENT DIALOGUE
proach it with respect, it is always amenable. My style is equally
raw. If it is about luxury, it is a raw luxury. Nothing is superflu- BETWEEN DESIGN AND NATURE."
ous. There is no luxury in something you can’t or don’t need to
use. So I break down reality and find the best ways to express it.
For me, that is the definition of being contemporary.
What were the main challenges in your recent projects, Panoptis
Escape and O by Myconian Collection, in terms of optimizing
spaces or views from the rooms?
At O by Myconian Collection located at Ornos bay on Mykonos,
the challenge was to triumph in creating a luxury beachfront
resort where there was an evident dialogue between design and
nature, where guests are free to feel what they want, to be serene
and quiet or joyous and celebratory, so the challenge here was to
create an ambience that allowed for that through the architectural
language and design. For Panoptis Escape above Elia beach, on
Mykonos as well, we wanted the property to offer 360 views over
the Aegean and to work through all of the constraints that arose.
Generally though, the main challenge was how to translate the
landscape into a hospitality project. For me, interior design is all
about helping people be inspired by what is unique in a specif-
ic time and place, it has to make you feel good about where you
are, but also remind you not to stay still. It has to be the perfect
match between the real and the possible.
How are they similar and different from the other properties
in the Myconian Collection’s portfolio?
I would say that O by Myconian Collection 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 phi-
losophy. O by Myconian Collection 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?
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 Col-
lection 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, mak-
ing them totally unique in that sense.
What has been your most memorable travel experience that
you classify as true luxury?
Despite my work in hospitality, I still see myself as primarily a
theatre director. I stage experiences and I explore the roles people
take on in their lives. Working on these amazing hotels is my way
of bringing about the spaces I have always wanted to have available
to me; spaces that can take their surroundings and their guests
further. These resorts, this Villa Collection, my quest to bring
out the Royal, the Imperial element of luxury and to challenge
the Avaton of privilege, they are products of my own identity as
a Panoptis, as someone who strives to see more and more of what CHRISTOS DRAZOS
is out there, and to bring it all in my work. It is challenging, but
such is the task I choose. 

THE O VISION
For its interior designer Antonis Kalogridis, O by Myconian Collection guests are free to feel what they want, to be serene and quiet or joyous and celebratory.
The challenge here was to create an ambience that allowed for that through the architectural language and design.