Taking advantage of the late November sunshine, we recently headed to the Kinsterna Hotel in the southeastern Peloponnese in Greece, a rural retreat centered on an exquisitely restored 17th century manor. Upon arrival we were escorted to the manor’s central courtyard where we were treated to a traditional “ypovrixio”, a spoonful of thick, white paste made from mastic resin dropped into a glass of ice-cold water. It was a welcoming gesture indicative of the hotel’s superb hospitality as well as an unspoken introduction to its evocative character where the past and the present coexist harmoniously. Sitting next to a large cistern, which the hotel takes its name from, filled with waterlilies, enjoying the seductive view of the legendary Monemvasia rock looming over the rolling hills, we immediately sensed the site’s uniqueness more clearly than any words could convey. And that’s just in the first 15 minutes; as the days languorously unfolded, we gradually discovered a trove of hidden gems and historical curiosities such as a centuries-old olive press transformed into a lounge, a secret spring inside a narrow cave, and an antique shop that embodies the current owners’ passion for collecting vintage household objects, to name just a few. As satisfying was the discovery that the hotel offers all the amenities one would expect from a high-end resort, including a well-equipped spa, a pool overlooking the rolling hillsides, and a gourmet restaurant underpinned by a farm-to-table philosophy, courtesy of a fertile 18-acre estate that abounds with vineyards, olive and citrus trees, and vegetables gardens.

利用 11 月底的阳光，我们最近前往希腊东南部伯罗奔尼撒省的金斯特纳酒店，这是一处以 17 世纪修复精美的庄园为中心的乡村度假胜地。到达后，我们被护送到庄园的中央庭院，在那里我们被送到一个传统的“ypovrixio”，一匙厚厚的白色糊，用松脂树脂制成，掉进了一杯冰凉的水里。这是一种欢迎的姿态，象征着酒店的盛情款待，也是对过去与现在和谐共存的回忆性的无声介绍。酒店旁边坐着一个大水池，里面装满了百合花，欣赏着耸立在起伏山丘上的传奇莫尼姆瓦西亚 (Monemvasia) 岩石的迷人景色，我们立刻就感觉到了这个地方的独特性，比任何文字都能传达的更清晰。这仅仅是在最初的 15 分钟；随着岁月的缓慢展开，我们逐渐发现了大量隐藏的宝石和历史奇观，比如一个百年历史悠久的橄榄石印刷机变成了一个休息室，一个狭窄的洞穴里有一个秘密的泉水，还有一家古董店，它体现了当前业主收集古董家居物品的热情，举几个例子。同样令人满意的是，酒店提供了高端度假村所能提供的所有便利设施，包括一个设备精良的温泉浴场、一个俯瞰起伏山坡的游泳池，以及一家由农场到餐桌的理念支撑的美食餐厅，酒店占地 18 英亩，拥有丰富的葡萄园、橄榄树和柑橘树，以及蔬菜花园。

The cistern at the heart of the hotel from which Kinsterna takes its name. Photo by Elias Joidos.

Kinsterna 取名的旅馆中心的蓄水池。照片作者：Elias Joidos。

Originally built in the 17th and 18th centuries, the manor has been meticulously restored using traditional building techniques and repurposed materials. Photo by Cathy Cunliffe.

庄园最初建于 17 世纪和 18 世纪，是用传统的建筑技术和用途材料精心修复的。由 CathyCunliffe 拍摄的照片。

Photo by David Brook.

大卫·布鲁克的照片。

Photo by David Brook.

大卫·布鲁克的照片。

Mirroring the tumultuous history of the mediaeval castle-city of Monemvasia situated further down the coast, which after the fall of the Byzantine Empire changed hands between the Ottomans and the Venetians a couple of times before it finally became part of the nascent Greek state, the estate has had its share of noble owners and vying suitors courtesy of its unique location.

Perched up high on the hillside, the fort-like manor was ideally positioned to monitor the area and repel intruders such as pirates or foreign troops—as was often the case at the time. As importantly, the plentiful supply of spring water made the estate self-sufficient.

The pivotal role of spring water as the literal source of the manor’s prosperity has not been lost on the current owners who have reinstated it as a dominant feature throughout the hotel’s grounds, from the majestic cistern at its heart, to the water channel that flows down the estate filling the pool, and the numerous springs and fountains.

中世纪城堡-- 莫尼姆瓦西亚的城市-- 的动荡历史就在海岸的另一端。拜占庭帝国垮台后，在奥斯曼帝国和威尼斯人之间交手了几次，最后才成为新生的希腊国家的一部分。这座城堡拥有一份高贵的所有者，并因其独特的地理位置而争相追求者。这座堡垒般的庄园坐落在山坡的高处，是监视该地区并击退海盗或外国军队等入侵者的理想场所。同样重要的是，大量的泉水供应使庄园自给自足。泉水作为庄园繁荣的字面来源的关键作用，并没有消失在现在的所有者身上，他们把泉水恢复为整个酒店场地的主要特征，从其核心的宏伟水池，到从充满泳池的庄园里流下的水渠，以及无数的泉水和喷泉。

The castle-city of Monemvasia. Photo by Elias Joidos.

Monemvasia 的城堡-- 城市。伊莱亚斯·乔伊多斯的照片。

Photo by David Brook.

大卫·布鲁克的照片。

Photo by David Brook.

大卫·布鲁克的照片。

The manor has been restored using traditional building techniques and repurposed materials. Wherever possible the original building fabric has been preserved. Photo by Reto Guntli.

该庄园已恢复使用传统的建筑技术和重新使用的材料。只要有可能，原有的建筑织物就会保存下来。图片来源：Reto Guntli。

The harvest of the grapes at Kinsterna takes place from mid-August to mid-September. Photo © Kinsterna Hotel.

金斯特纳葡萄的收获时间为 8 月中旬至 9 月中旬。照片 C.Kinsterna 酒店。

Archaeologists date the manor’s origins in the middle of 17th century with several sections added a century later as can be attested by the amalgamation of Ottoman, Byzantine and Venetian characteristics such as vaulted ceilings, arched portals, and iron hooks to support vines. Meanwhile, battlements, gun holes and small openings speak of the manor’s defensive nature. The most distinctive element though is the relief plastering of the facades whose ceramic inserts give the manor its spotted appearance. As decorative as this treatment is, it is by no means an aesthetic choice but rather a centuries-old painstaking method for passive cooling and moisture control. By the time the current owners purchased the estate in 2002, the U-shaped, two-storey manor had fallen into disrepair attested by the several sections that had been demolished, collapsed roofing and looted equipment. A stroll to the hotel’s library where showcased photos of the building’s ruined state further reveal the mammoth task that the talented team of architects, engineers and designers faced in 2006 when the renovation begun. Working in close cooperation with Greek Archaeological Service and using local craftsmen, traditional building techniques and repurposed materials, the team succeeded, after four years, in reinstating the manor to its former glory and at the same time creating a contemporary retreat of modern comforts and subtle luxury.

考古学家们将庄园的起源追溯到 17 世纪中叶，一个世纪后又增加了几个部分，这一点可以通过奥斯曼、拜占庭和威尼斯人的合并来证明，例如拱形天花板、拱形门户和支撑藤蔓的铁钩。同时，城垛、炮孔和小开口说明了庄园的防御性质。然而，最独特的元素是正面的浮雕抹灰，它的陶瓷镶嵌使庄园有斑点的外观。虽然这种处理是装饰性的，但它绝不是一种美学的选择，而是一种长达几个世纪的被动冷却和水分控制的艰苦方法。当目前的业主在 2002 年购买这座庄园时，这座两层楼高的 U 形庄园已经失修，这几个部分已经被拆除、倒塌的屋顶和被洗劫的设备所证明。在酒店的图书馆漫步，展示了这栋建筑被毁状态的照片，进一步揭示了天才的建筑师、工程师和设计师团队在 2006 年开始翻修时面临的艰巨任务。该小组与希腊考古学服务处密切合作，利用当地工匠、传统建筑技术和重新使用的材料，在四年后成功地恢复了庄园原来的辉煌，同时创造了现代舒适和微妙奢华的当代退却。

The age-old practice of honey-harvesting by Kinsterna’s resident beekeeper during early summer and early fall. Photo © Kinsterna Hotel.

金斯特娜的养蜂人在初夏和秋初采摘蜂蜜的古老做法。照片 C.Kinsterna 酒店。

Baking country bread at Kinsterna’s old stone oven. Photo © Kinsterna Hotel.

在金斯纳的旧石炉烘烤乡村面包。照片（照片）Kinsterna 酒店。

Soap making at Kinsterna. Photo © Kinsterna Hotel.

在 Kinsterna 做肥皂。照片 C.Kinsterna 酒店。

图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C. Kinsterna 酒店。

Battlements, gun holes and small openings speak of the manor’s defensive nature. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

城垛、枪口和小开口说明了庄园的防御性质。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

Nowhere is this more evident than in the manor’s spacious guestrooms and suites that combine historic features such as timber roof trusses covered with reeds, vaulted ceilings, and stone fireplaces, some of which are part of the original building, with luxurious marble baths, custom headboards and hand-crafted “embroidered” concrete walls. Meanwhile, the meticulous preservation of trap doors, fireplace mantels, cistern drains, gun holes and other architectural curiosities means that no room is the same, making Kinsterna hotel a living museum—albeit a luxury live-in museum. The manor’s renovation was accompanied by the redesign of the surrounding landscape, the addition of several individual dwellings and villas designed in harmony with the manor’s rural aesthetic, and the construction of an annex to house, among other functions, restaurants, bar and conference centre. Featuring a series of gabled roofs whose timber structures allude to the area’s traditional typology, the annex is nevertheless a thoroughly modern building whose interiors have been enriched with traditional elements, such as embroideries and tapestries, re-imagined as contemporary installations.

这一点在庄园宽敞的客房和套房中最为明显，这些客房和套房结合了一些历史特征，如覆盖着芦苇的木屋顶桁架、拱形天花板和石头壁炉，其中有些是原建筑的一部分，配有豪华的大理石浴室、定制的床头板和手工制作的“绣花”混凝土墙。与此同时，对陷阱门、壁炉、蓄水池排水沟、枪口和其他建筑奇观的精心保存意味着，没有一个房间是一样的，这使得金斯特纳酒店成了一座活生生的博物馆-- 尽管是一座豪华的生活博物馆。在对庄园进行翻修的同时，还重新设计了周围的景观，增加了一些与庄园乡村美学相一致的个别住宅和别墅，以及建造了一座附属住宅，除其他功能外，还包括餐厅、酒吧和会议中心。该附件以一系列山墙屋顶为特色，其木材结构暗示了该地区的传统类型，但它是一座完全现代化的建筑，其内部已丰富了传统元素，如刺绣和挂毯，被重新想象为现代设施。

One of Kinsterna’s two pools, both of which are supplied with fresh spring water. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

Kinsterna 的两个水池中的一个，两个池都有淡水供应。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

Kinstena Villa with private pool. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

Kinstna 别墅，带私人泳池。由 VangelisPaerakis()Kinsterna 酒店的照片。

Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

Kinsterna Villa with private pool. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

带私人游泳池的 Kinsterna 别墅。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

Kinsterna Villa with private pool. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

带私人游泳池的 Kinsterna 别墅。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

The resurrection of the estate went hand in hand with the revival of its agricultural heritage, from the harvesting of grapes, olives and honey, to making olive oil and soap, baking bread, and distilling tsipouro, a traditional Greek spirit. The hotel even has its own wine label whose quality we can attest with the conviction that comes after consuming several bottles of red and rosé wine. The revival of such traditional practices not only gives guests a chance to observe and participate in such activities, but also makes Kinsterna the epitome of sustainability and self-sufficiency, not to mention supplies the hotel’s three restaurants with fresh organic seasonal produce. There’s not much we can say to top this simple luxury, especially if, like us, you appreciate home-cooked Mediterranean cuisine, but let’s add that guests can also enjoy a wide selection of body and face treatments at the hotel’s spa, tour the estate on bicycles or an antique horse-drawn carriage brought by the owners from Egypt, or hike the surrounding hills to discover Byzantine churches and Ottoman ruins (and we haven’t even talked about the historic sites and natural landmarks of the southeastern Peloponnese). Suffice it to say that you’ll probably think twice before leaving the Kinsterna’s amazing grounds.

庄园的复兴与其农业遗产的复兴密切相关，从采摘葡萄、橄榄和蜂蜜，到制作橄榄油和肥皂、烤面包和蒸馏传统的希腊精神这家酒店甚至有自己的葡萄酒标签，我们可以通过消费几瓶红葡萄酒和红葡萄酒后的信念来证明它的质量。

这种传统习俗的复兴不仅使客人有机会观察和参与此类活动，而且使金斯特纳成为可持续性和自给自足的缩影，更不用说为酒店的三家餐厅提供新鲜的有机季节性产品。

我们没什么好说的，尤其是如果你和我们一样喜欢家煮的地中海菜的话，但让我们补充说，客人们也可以在酒店的水疗中心享受各种各样的身体和面部护理，骑自行车或从埃及运来的古董马车游览庄园，或者徒步游览周围的小山，去发现拜占庭教堂和奥斯曼遗迹 (我们甚至还没有谈到伯罗奔尼撒东南部的历史遗迹和自然地标)。

只需说一句，你可能会三思而后行，然后离开昆士纳的神奇之地。

’Mouries’ restaurant at Kinsterna’s newly built annex. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

Kinsterna 新建的附属餐厅的‘Mouries’餐厅。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

The lounge at Kinsterna’s newly built annex. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

Kinsterna 新建的附属大楼的休息室。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

The lounge at Kinsterna’s newly built anex featuring an embroidery installation. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

在 Kinsterna 的新建成的 ANEX 的休息室以刺绣装置为特色。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

The design team for the entire project ultimately comprised the following:Architecture - Interior Design: Divercity Architects

Architecture (Developed Design Phase 1): Ergastiri 73 - Apostolos Parpairis - Associates

Collaborating Architects: Nostos (Technical Design Phase 1 - 2)Structural Engineer: G. Dimitrakopoulos - Associates (Phase 1), OTM (Phase 2)MEP Engineer: ENG (Phase 1), GKA Engineers - Nostos S.A (Phase 2)Lighting Designer: Diathlasis (Phase 1), Dimitra Kamba (Phase 2)Space Consultant: Sofia Vantaraki

Contractor: Nostos

The entire restoration project took place with the cooperation of the 5th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities (Hellenic Ministry of Culture) using traditional construction methods and a plethora of repurposed and local materials.

整个项目的设计团队最终包括以下内容：

The bar at Kinsterna’s newly built annex featuring a bespoke lighting installation made from brass piping traditionally used in production of ’tsipouro’, a distilled Greek spirit. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

在金斯特纳的新建成的附属酒吧，特色是一个定制的照明装置，由黄铜管道，传统上用于生产‘tsimouro’，一种蒸馏的希腊精神。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

Kinsterna’s antique shop. Photo by Vangelis Paterakis © Kinsterna Hotel.

的古董店。图片来源：Vangelis Paterakis C.Kinsterna 酒店。

keywords: Travel Hotels Design

关键词：旅游酒店设计