Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award in Bronze in Gastgewerbedesign Competition Category.
BronzeGastgewerbe· 2026
Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel
by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab
Client: Oreno Retreat
A' Design Award in Bronze Winner in Gastgewerbe Category
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The Design
About Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel
Oreno Mountain Retreat ist ein Hotel in Tsepelovo, Zagori. Das Gebäude setzt die umgebende Landschaft fort, indem es lokale Prinzipien von Proportion, Material und räumlicher Hierarchie neu interpretiert. Tragende Steinmauern und hölzerne Dachkonstruktionen übertragen traditionelle Techniken auf zeitgemäße Standards. Die hohe Speichermasse verbessert die Energieeffizienz, während gezielt gesetzte Öffnungen Tageslicht und Belüftung lenken. Die Einbettung in den Hang reduziert den Erdaushub. Der Entwurf schafft eine ruhige, veredelte Atmosphäre, die in lokaler Erinnerung und Handwerkskunst verwurzelt ist.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award in Bronze
Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel ist Gewinner des A' Design Award in Bronze, einer hochprestigeträchtigen Anerkennung für herausragende Designs, die sich durch Kreativität, Einfallsreichtum und Scharfsinn auszeichnen. Bronze-Gewinner sind reichlich geschickte und auffallend kreative Artefakte, die die große Erfahrung, Fantasie und Findigkeit ihrer Designer belegen. Von Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel wird erwartet, dass es ein hochgeschätztes, bewundertes und geliebtes Objekt ist, das bemerkenswert professionell und innovativ ist. Dieses mit dem A' Design Award in Bronze prämierte Design verkörpert bewährte Verfahren in Kunst, Wissenschaft, Design und Technologie und ist hervorragend in seiner Liebe zum Detail. Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel befriedigt Bedürfnisse auf großartige Weise, berührt Wünsche, bezaubert Gefühle und spricht die Neugier an.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This design explores architecture as an extension of place rather than an imposed object. Oreno continues the Zagori landscape by reinterpreting local principles of proportion, material, and spatial hierarchy. Its strength lies in balancing memory with contemporary living, solidity with openness. Through restraint, material continuity, and controlled light, it creates a quiet, refined atmosphere rooted in authenticity.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Constructed with load bearing stone walls and timber roof systems, the building employs traditional techniques adapted to contemporary standards. High thermal mass improves energy efficiency, while controlled openings optimize daylight and ventilation. The integration into the slope minimizes excavation and enhances environmental performance, supported by passive design strategies.
- Tags
- stone, wood, heritage, environment, local, fireplace, wellness, interior
- Production Technology
- The design was developed through analysis of Zagori architectural principles proportion, material logic, and spatial hierarchy, rather than formal imitation. Local stone and timber systems informed both structure and envelope. Iterative modeling and section studies ensured integration with the terrain, while light and material continuity were refined to create a cohesive, atmospheric spatial experience.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was integrating Zagori historical and social context with modern hospitality standards. Internally, respecting local architectural memory and community traditions guided design decisions. Externally, strict heritage regulations, limited construction technologies, and site constraints demanded careful material selection, precise geometry, and iterative modeling to achieve a balance between authenticity, comfort, and environmental integration.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration for Oreno emerges from the quiet continuity of life in Zagori. It draws from the memory of people and their rhythms. Gatherings in village squares, the echo of music across the mountains, the slow passage of seasons. Tradition is not treated as a fixed image, but as a living presence, embedded in craft, in material, in proportion. Stone and earth become both structure and story, grounding the hotel in its place, while the spirit of local life shapes spaces that feel familiar, warm, and enduring.
- Project Duration
- The project started in September 2023 in Tsepelovo, Zagori and finished in Janaury 2026
- Team Members
- Giannis Efthymiadis
Konstadina Papagianni
Giwrgos Efthymiadis
Maria Kamenou
Dimitra Gakou - Image Credits
- Photographer Dimitris Spyrou
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