The Miraggio Thermal Spa resort is located in the Kanistro region in Kassandra, Chalkidiki’s first peninsula overlooking the second peninsula Sithonia and Mount Athos. The main concept in the design was to develop a complex adapted to the property’s natural sloping terrain resulting in underground structures with green roofs that not only help minimize energy loses, but also create the impression that the architectural intervention on site is discreet despite its size.
The resort features 300 suites and rooms, a Thermal Spa, five restaurants, six bars, a Marina, a childcare facility centre and a conference centre. The entrance to the resort complex is located on the west side of the site, the starting point of the main road which passes through the visitors’ parking space, the amphitheater, tennis courts and the “kids’ planet” facility with an adjacent splash park. The road leads to the upper hotel square, formed over a two storey parking space with plants and fountain installations. Passing through the main building entrance visitors have the impression of entering in a single storey building even though the entrance level is at 26,70 m above the sea level. All common areas of the resort are located in the main building which consists of 7 levels. The first level is the basement area used for the M&E activity. Levels 2,3,4 include commercial shops, a gym hall, a restaurant and the Myrthia Thermal Spa occupying 5,000 m2, with treatment rooms and thermal water pools utilizing the local source water and hot spring found on site. Level 5 includes the major restaurant and kitchen facilities of the resort as well as a two storey underground parking space. Level 6 includes the reception desk, the hotel lobby and bars and level 7 allows access to the roof and the highest wing placed at 30m above sea level. The six levels above the ground are perceivable only by looking towards the north façade from the seaside. The central axis of the main building leads to the pool area, the hotel beach and the marina with 81 berths.
The suites and rooms are organized in wings found in both sides of the central building and connected to the central building through a corridor at the back. Each wing is placed at a different level following the sloped site and terrain geometry thus providing a clear view of the sea from almost every room. The resort has adapted for the operation of its facilities the “reduce-reuse-recycle” provisional philosophy featuring initiatives such as a seawater geoexchange system that exploits the thermal energy of the seawater for space cooling and heating, pools heating & domestic hot water and returns the used water back to the sea in a slightly altered temperature.
