DATA SHEET
Owner: Fol Resort
Hotel operator: Hotel Brain
Architecture, landscaping, interior design: Block722
Planting: Outside landscape architecture
Main contractor and procurement: Apax
Furnishings: Almeco, Auctionet, Candia, Ferm living, HKliving, Kave home, Muuto, Nitsolas, Nordarin, Polspotten, Set, Serax, Vestal, Vintage Boutique Abcoude, Zaira; custom design by Block722
Reception desk: Block722, Esto Association, Form To Matter Tile & Marble Stories Lighting: 101 Copenhagen, Celine Wright, Marset, Norm Architects, Placed, Santa & Cole, Simone Marcel, Toscot, Vitra
Lighting design: L+DG lighting architects Fabrics and soft furnishings: Camengo, Fibre Guart, Kallergis, Misia, Moutidou, Nikos Haritos, Sarlas, Sunbrella, Vagenas of Edmund Bell Wallcoverings: Interkas
Carpets and floorcoverings: Alfrobes, Nani Marquina, Nordic Knots, Sfakianaki
Outdoor furniture: Almeco, Avax, Ethimo, Kave home, Nitsolas, Set, Veranda, Vestal, Vetsak, Zaira Bathroom fittings: Andravidiotis, Baucer, Ferm Living, Frank, Geberit, Grohe, Inda, Jimten, Mirage, Palaio, Pellet, Sanco, Stern, Yanni polycenter, Zanetti, Zucchetti
Spa consultant: Naomi Gregory
Spa and gym equipment: Matrix
Other: Stonetech, Kanellos Glass, Choulakis, Mavriki, Vicent Sheppard, Remi, Atelier Vierkant
Brand name, logo design: AG Design Agency
Graphic design, branding, visual identity: K2 Design
Art consultant: Block722, Efi Spyrou, Runonart
Sculpture: Elina Ioannou
Artistic direction: Block722 in collaboration with Runonart NGO
Photo credits: Ana Santl, styling by Priszcilla Varga Martha Vosdou, styling by Sissy Rousaki
Untamed, rugged, and authentic, Folegandros welcomes a hotel designed to echo its spirit, offering guests the privilege of truly understanding its soul. Gundari Resort draws on the island’s essence, character, and colors, translating them into an architectural narrative that is both powerful and “silent.”
The design approach leans towards mimesis between the built environment and the natural landscape, with precise attention to material selection, forms, and chromatic nuances, all playing a role in a constant, sustainability-driven dialogue with the land. «One of the primary strategies involved recycling natural stone and gravel from the site itself for reuse in the construction process», state the architects at Block722.
«Materials such as marble, wood and clay were selected for their aesthetic and cultural significance, as well as for their durability and low environmental impact, thereby reducing reliance on imported materials». The resort’s unit proportions are carefully calibrated to align with those of the island’s villages, thus avoiding a disproportionate scale relative to the local fabric, while simultaneously offering guests an experience of comfort and privacy. The complex, formed by a sequence of small, stone-clad volumes, traces a gentle, undulating path across the terrain, seemingly following its natural morphology, at times disappearing from view. This is where the subterranean part of the intimate hotel is located, comprising several suites that, though hidden, open towards the sea with expansive glass walls to embrace its movements and hues. Within this concealed and intimate setting, the spa also resides, akin to a sanctuary that dissolves daily distractions, allowing for a profound, timeless harmony between human and nature, fostering a sense of well-being and self-reconciliation.
The restaurant and bar, perched in a panoramic position, take on the appearance of a small piazza dedicated to gathering and conviviality. They evoke authentic Greek tavernas with an elegance that is undeniably simple, yet also speaks the language of gentle luxury, expressed through materials, colors, and furnishings that create an ethereal, almost intangible atmosphere.
Here, the infinity pool merges with the colors of the Aegean. The interiors of the suites and common areas also express a visceral connection to the territory: «The material palette draws on the essence of the island, with natural stone, wood and clay used extensively to add texture and warmth to the interiors. These elements are complemented by a neutral and earthy colour scheme of soft beiges, warm browns and gentle greys — tones that echo the rocky cliffs of Folegandros».
Custom-designed furnishings and original vintage pieces, along with details like marble engravings inspired by local mythology and culture, reinforce this strong sense of place.
