Monastic Modernism: Resurrecting The Essence of Byzantine Architecture

Acquired a undertaking that’s too wild for this world? Submit your conceptual works, photos and concepts for world recognition and print publication within the 2025 Imaginative and prescient Awards, The Early Entry interval is underway — begin your entry at this time.

Proper within the coronary heart of Thessaloniki, the place traces of Byzantine historical past nonetheless form town, Monasty Resort gives each a peaceable escape and a considerate nod to its previous. Designed by Not a Quantity Architects for Marriott’s Autograph Assortment, the 100-room lodge blends the quiet, reverent really feel of a spiritual house with the heat and luxury of contemporary luxurious. This one-of-a-kind design wowed judges in Architizer’s twelfth Annual A+Awards, successful the Jury Vote within the Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft) class.

Thessaloniki was as soon as the second most vital metropolis within the Byzantine Empire, and its surviving Orthodox church buildings such because the Church of Saint Demetrios and the Church of Agia Sophia, are architectural relics of that point. Monasty stands in a location wealthy with historical past and even sits subsequent to the one monastry nonetheless lively within the metropolis heart — The Monastery of Agia Theodora. The monastry was rebuilt after the good fireplace of 1917 on the foundations of an older Byzantine construction. This distinctive setting impressed a design that mixes the straightforward monastic life with the delicate fashionable hospitality.

So how does a 5-star lodge resurrect centuries of historical past? From hidden symbolism to heavenly lighting, listed here are seven methods the lodge brings the previous to life:

1. Symmetry and Order

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

The lodge’s floor flooring follows a transparent, church-like symmetry. Visitors enter by doorways that act like a Western church door, drawing the attention straight down a central axis to a hidden courtyard. On the heart, the bar stands like an altar reverse the entry approach. Above all of it, a grand picket ceiling stretches throughout the house additional mirroring the naves of Byzantine church buildings, creating a relaxed, nearly sacred environment.

2. Monastic Materials Palette

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

Byzantine structure usually paired modest constructions with richly detailed interiors. Partitions have been lined with skinny sheets of marble or patterned stone, whereas bricks, stone, and mosaics added depth and texture. Advantageous wooden furnishings, from stools to cabinets, introduced heat and refinement into these sacred areas.

Monasty continues this custom with its considerate materials palette of brick, stone, wooden, and marble. The stone flooring flows seamlessly from the lodge’s lined entrance into the foyer, echoing the cool, sturdy flooring of Byzantine church buildings. On the reception, a black marble desk stands earlier than a monochrome brick wall, softened by wood-framed shelving that brings steadiness and heat.

All through the lodge, furnishings in richly grained wooden provides texture and tactility, reinforcing the sense of crafted class that defines each the monastic and the fashionable.

3. Chapel-Impressed Lighting

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

Lighting in Byzantine church buildings was designed to really feel non secular — dim, subtle, and sometimes flickering from oil lamps or candles. This mild illumination gave interiors a way of thriller, slowing time and inspiring reflection.

Monasty channels that very same temper with layered lighting. Brass chandeliers which have been modeled after conventional hanging candlesticks line the lodge’s predominant axis, casting a heat, inviting glow towards the bar. Elsewhere, low-hanging pendants and gently lit alcoves create pockets of intimacy. Shadows that are a part of the design assist to create a quietly dramatic aura concerning the lodge.

4. Icon-inspired Colours

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

Byzantine artwork was stuffed with wealthy, earthy tones that got here in deep reds, ochres, olive greens and tender golds. These colours weren’t simply stunning; they helped create a relaxed, reverent temper in church buildings and icons.

Monasty brings that very same feeling into its interiors. The colour palette is heat and muted, crammed with terracotta brick, darkish woods, and black marble. Even the textiles and furnishings just like the pale purple banquettes and stone-colored partitions, really feel pulled from an icon’s background. In every single place you look, the tones are tender, grounded and emotionally wealthy.

This considerate use of shade creates an environment that feels sacred however not chilly. It’s quiet and stylish, rooted in Byzantine custom, however nonetheless fully fashionable.

5. Arches and Alcoves

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

Arches have been central to Byzantine structure. They held up partitions and marked the road between the earthly and the divine. The designers spoke that language within the inside of this lodge with rounded types at each flip.

You’ll see it within the restaurant’s curved alcove seating, within the bed room headboards formed by rows of repeating arches and within the mild curves of the hallway ceilings. Even the picket show cabinets are topped with rounded edges. They nod to historic basilicas however nonetheless really feel proper at residence in a contemporary lodge.

6. Artwork as Storytelling

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

Byzantine interiors weren’t nearly magnificence. They have been meant to show. By means of detailed mosaics and work, church buildings shared tales of religion and historical past with anybody who entered.

Monasty brings that very same thought into its design. Greek artist Fikos created murals in a contemporary Byzantine model. His work tells the story of Thessaloniki in a approach that feels each historic and recent. These work do greater than enhance. They root the house in native tradition and invite friends to pause and mirror. Similar to in previous church buildings, the artwork right here is supposed to be seen, remembered and felt.

7. A Backyard of Stillness

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

Byzantine monasteries have been locations of quiet. They usually had small gardens or courtyards for reflection. These areas helped monks disconnect from the skin world and join with one thing deeper.

Monasty brings that very same thought into town. In the back of the lodge, a secret backyard waits. It’s crammed with tender greenery, water, and calm gentle. It feels hidden, like a breath held in. The noise of town disappears. Instead is quiet, stillness, and a way that point has slowed. Similar to in a monastery.

Monasty  by Not a Quantity Architects, Thessaloniki, Greece | Jury Winner, Industrial Interiors (>25,000 sq ft), twelfth Annual A+Awards

Monasty doesn’t simply take cues from Byzantine structure. It brings the model and the spirit again to life. Every of the seven design strikes explored right here reveals a transparent connection to the previous, from symmetry and arches to lighting, supplies, and environment. However none of it feels dated. As an alternative, the lodge gives a relaxed and opulent expertise rooted in its environment. In a metropolis formed by centuries of religion and design, Monasty quietly resurrects Byzantine heritage in a approach that feels each timeless and new.

Acquired a undertaking that’s too wild for this world? Submit your conceptual works, photos and concepts for world recognition and print publication within the 2025 Imaginative and prescient Awards, The Early Entry interval is underway — begin your entry at this time.