Urban Soul Project Designs Hospitality Spaces Rooted in Local Narratives

Urban Soul Project, a design studio based in Thessaloniki, Greece, is redefining hospitality design by moving beyond conventional layouts to create non-linear, choreographed atmospheres. Their approach prioritizes material sensitivity and contextual references, aiming to make guests feel, understand, and remember their environment. This methodology has led to their recognition as Architectural Studio of the Year at the GRAIL Awards 2026.

Founded in 2009, the firm has grown into a multidisciplinary office with an international footprint. While their work spans various sectors, hospitality has become a key area where their spatial philosophy is most evident. They integrate architecture, brand identity, operational efficiency, and a distinct sense of place, rejecting a single, imposed visual language for each project.

A Commitment to Experience

The studio develops each project from concept to final execution, aiming to deliver solutions that are functional, contemporary, and refined. This holistic process ensures a seamless progression from the initial idea to the final user experience. Their success has been acknowledged by numerous institutions, including AHEAD Europe, Interior Design Magazine’s Best of Year Awards, the German Design Awards, the International Hotel and Property Awards, and the Architizer A+ Awards.

Diverse Scales, Consistent Vision

Urban Soul Project’s portfolio demonstrates a remarkable ability to work across different scales. At the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens, a 35,500-square-meter project completed in 2024, the studio reconfigured all common areas and 570 guestrooms. The design breaks down the hotel’s large volumes into distinct zones, each with a unique atmosphere, achieved through an interplay of timber, marble, leather, curved forms, integrated lighting, and strategic color accents. This intervention preserved the hotel’s grandeur while imbuing it with an intimate, contemporary character.

In the redesign of the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki, the studio focused on the transition between travel and accommodation, using tactile natural materials and regional references to humanize the global brand without compromising its identity. Their work on Omeon Mykonos further integrates hospitality with local culture, drawing inspiration from Cycladic architecture and the philosophy of slow living.

Hospitality as a Hybrid

For their ERGON projects in London, Athens, and Thessaloniki, Urban Soul Project explores hospitality as a blend of accommodation, gastronomy, retail, and urban culture. ERGON London, in collaboration with Greek fashion house Zeus+Dione, serves as a social and architectural hub, weaving local heritage and brand identity into layered interiors that connect with the surrounding streetscape.

At ERGON Bakehouse in Athens, housed in a heritage building by Vasilis Tsagris, the design incorporates original plaster decorations and an antique staircase. The ground floor features the 72H Artisanal Bakery, with window frames offering views into the open-plan workshop. The interior palette of dark firebrick, wall paneling, stainless steel counters, and linen fabrics reflects the pragmatic nature of a professional kitchen, balanced by adjusted lighting and internal shading for a calm atmosphere.

Embracing Nature in Resort Design

At the destination resort scale, Urban Soul Project emphasizes the integration of outdoor elements as primary design materials. Domes of Elounda in Crete features architecture that follows the land’s geometry, incorporating stone volumes, shaded terraces, pergolas, timber, marble, and red travertine overlooking the sea. The Chora extension applies this approach to a more intimate scale, with suites, patios, plunge pools, and outdoor lounges designed to foster a slower rhythm of inhabitation. Their work at Domes of Chania also reflects this ability to translate island heritage into contemporary environments where local identity and landscape coexist with international standards.

Fluidity and Community

Urban Soul Project’s practice also embraces fluid functionality to accommodate the evolving habits of modern travelers. At the Courtyard by Marriott in Ghent, Belgium, they have activated public zones with warm textures to foster a sense of community. The hotel’s core, SCALA, is designed as a flexible space for diverse programming, while ARNO, the Italian restaurant, merges culinary and spatial design. Nearby, STROOM, an all-day brasserie and café, acts as the property’s social hub, conceived as part of a contemporary business hotel designed at the intersection of hospitality, productivity, and social interaction.

Key facts
| Aspect | Detail |
|—|—|
| Studio | Urban Soul Project |
| Location | Thessaloniki, Greece |
| Award | Architectural Studio of the Year, GRAIL Awards 2026 |
| Focus | Hospitality design integrating local narratives and spatial experiences |
| Notable Projects | Athenaeum InterContinental Athens, ERGON projects, Domes of Elounda |

This development is significant for Paionia7 readers as it highlights a design firm that successfully bridges cultural authenticity with modern hospitality standards, offering a model for how spaces can be designed to evoke a strong sense of place and memory for guests worldwide.

Source: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/urban-soul-project-hospitality-design-spatial-experience/

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