New Hotel Athens by Campana Brothers

Recreating the lux design of the former Olympic Palace hotel by architect Iasonas Rizos has resulted in an extraordinary piece of architecture as Brazilian design-duo the Campana Brothers created the “New Hotel Athens.” A blend of ancient Athens charm mixed in with modern qualities gave way to the construction of an eclectic design with its makeup of recycled furniture and features from the original hotel and a delightful touch of their artistic handmade chairs and lamps in Athens, Greece.

Three different rooms represent the Athenian culture: The first room called the Karagiozis room is lush with a decor of traditional shadow puppets of Greek folklore theater. The second room embodies the ‘evil eye’ superstition which is when a mysterious bead protects against bad omens. And the third room portrays historic post cards giving guests a visual look into ancient Athens.

A recreation of furniture was born as samples and prototypes were produced exploring techniques and methods connected with the Campanas style. Culture and material were reused to design the favela wall, an incorporation of recollections and memories of the original hotel, where parts of the door and furniture pieces of the hotel were used to decorate the walls of the reception room.

Via