The Modernist — Thessaloniki, Greece

A mid-1920s building in Thessaloniki – a few blocks from the Jewish Museum and the Museum of Photography – has been converted into The Modernist, a handsome 40-room boutique hotel by local studio, FORMrelated.
The narrow frontage of the building, originally designed by local architect Alexander Tzonis, informs much of the hotel’s public spaces and rooms, the designers working hard to add light and to subliminally widen tight corners with high windows, fresh-hued drapes and strategically placed mirrors. The cause has been aided with customised wall-mounted furniture, under-bed storage and lighting that play with the scale of the bedrooms whilst showcasing the original floors and cornices. The effect is what FORMrelated describes as ‘a minimalist yet sensual style that moves between art deco, mid-century detailing and Danish design’.
Though the town heaves with excellent food, the hotel’s executive chefs, Panagiotis Xanthis and Lefteris Athanasopoulos, conspire to keep guests suitably sated with modern Greek dishes, among them scrambled eggs and yogurt piled onto a sesame bagel; and bougatsa, a classic Greek filo pie, here filled with tahini cream.
A roof garden makes for a convivial pre-prandial cocktail, whilst a small concept store in the lobby and in-room massages headline an otherwise bijou menu of diversions.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
32 Ermou Street
54623 Thessaloniki
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports car
ECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary art
The luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on life
Thanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the world
Celebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in spring
Dreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Night at the museum: the best art hotels to book now
Sleep amid surrealists at London’s Broadwick Soho, or wake up to contemporary favourites at New Hotel in Athens – indulge in an immersive art hotel experience
-
Glamping on the Greek riviera: an alternative resort rooted in luxury
We check in at the 91 Athens Riviera; an alternative seaside glamping resort in the Greek capital that is all about relaxed luxury
-
Step inside Koumkan, Athens’ new bar of moody glamour and whimsy
Designed by Manhattan Projects, Koumkan’s interiors blend austere yet glamorous flair, evoking the mood of an inter-war bar
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
Tour an Athens hotel that doubles up as a retro swim club
Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens is a glamorous urban oasis for overnight stays or just a day
-
One&Only’s portfolio of ultra-luxury escapes reaches out to new horizons
From the Maldives to Mexico, One&Only’s resorts and private homes around the world offer exceptional stays in idyllic locations, soon to include a first USA property, designed by Olson Kundig