Isla Brown Resort, Corinthia

Isla Brown Corinthia is the first luxury resort by international hotel collection Brown Hotels, designed by Greek architectural firm Elastic Architects. The project was awarded the ‘Gold’ architecture prize in the ‘Hotels & Resorts’ category by the International Design Awards (IDA) 2022, gaining recognition for its unique and innovative design concept that celebrates modernist architecture, with its inspiration rooted in ancient Greek mythology.

Raising the bar for Brown Hotels’ hospitality offering, a hotel group best known for its quirky, design-driven collection of boutique urban properties, Isla Brown Corinthia, which opened in 2022, was the first five star resort by the international hotel group. Presenting 166 stylish rooms and suites, two swimming pools, a wellness centre, rooftop bar and restaurant, private beach, water sports centre and an events space, Isla Brown Corinthia has set a new precedent for hospitality standards in mainland Greece.

Isla Brown Corinthia presents a clean and contemporary aesthetic and a light-filled palette and architectural form, with the intention of the structure to appear as an extension of the landscape. Existing in its place was the former “Hanikian” hotel, which was originally built in the mid-1970’s and presented a modernist, and rectangular form. Elastic Architects worked to remodel the outdated structure, drawing inspiration from the mythological embodiment of a volcanic eruption, resulting in a contemporary and fluid form that emulates the flow of lava and has cultivated a new architectural identity on the Corinthian Gulf.

Isla Brown Chania was inspired by the northern Aegean volcanic arc and the Greek myth of the Giant Typhoeus, who resided beneath ‘Sousaki’; a craterless volcano that has laid dormant for 2.7 million years, with Typhoeus being so tall that he rose above the mountains with his head touching the stars. This idea is rooted in the concept of Isla Brown Corinthia, with the hotel’s design intended to embody the volcanic eruption of Typhoeus, harmoniously marrying the earth with the sky through a continuation of the physical form and the vast land and sea that surrounds it. The result is a contemporary structure that manifests clean, smooth lines like pebbles stacked upon each other, with successive curved surfaces that present a sculptural effect and create a sense of movement. Emphasising energy savings during hotel operation with a reduced energy footprint, the hotel was innovatively designed to seamlessly combine functionality, sustainability and cutting-edge aesthetics. Cohesive with the external design, the hotel’s interiors mimic these soft and fluid forms, with a curved line motif and earthy colour palette of stone, white and brown, finished with bronze detailing and tinted mirrored walls.