The Gulf of Nies near Volos, midway between Athens and Thessaloniki provides the backdrop for a 600 rooms, conference center and resort. Acres of untouched beaches and mountains provide an isolated environment in which will sit a self-contained retreat with an elevated sense of seclusion.

 

The elements of the resort, serpentine hotel block, promenade and retail area and geodesic dome are separated in keeping the functionalist strategy of providing clear cut and articulated forms which the visitor can identify with as a unique and distinct part of his stay. By land, the hotel marks the termination of a journey through the rugged mountains of Greece with the elevated roof structure providing symbolic entrance to the sea. Technology is embraced as exemplified by man's arrival through such lightweight convenience such as airship or lighter-than-water sailing vessels composed of lightweight aluminium and steel struts in comparison to the structure itself.

The location of the site and its vicinity to the Aegean Sea give the area its Mediterranean climate and temperament. Warm sunny days serve well to heat the massive concrete structure where heat is retained until it is radiated to warm the resort complex during the cool nights. The dome serves as a catalyst to heat the underlying concrete structure by means of solar radiation.

CONFERENCE CENTER AND RESORT, Volos, Greece

The initial structure rests at the focal point of the beach to act as a focus for land travelers and visitors arriving by yacht.

The hotel structure is supported on pilotis from which an integral promenade is extended terminating in a large geodesic dome and dock area. The elevated hotel structure aludes to the 1907 journey of Le Corbusier, in which he classified the area as "cultural" and documented the idea of raised structures from the historical ruins.

The lightness of the dome is contrasted to the water and the solid backdrop of the undulating wall of the hotel itself. The dome serves as an integration of the whole to the tecnology of the sailing ship, much like Buckminster Fuller's early expression of lightweight technology derived from his many adventures as sailor and navigator and later exemplified in lightweight tension structures.

The elevated terrace at mid-level of the hotel serves to provide the visitor with a vista of both sea and land, allowing all who stay to participate in the location and partake of Le Corbusier's three essential joys; that of sun, space and greenery. A swimming pool is provided at this level to maximize access to the Aegean air and sky. The geodesic dome with multiple layers of activities provides a nighttime environment meant to place the visitor in an almost invisible context with space and the vastness of the ocean. Vertical circulation is provided at major points in the hotel block with access to beach, retail areas and marina through promenades, ramps and stairs.