Coauthor: Petar Sazdanović

Competition 2016.

Location: Syracuse, Sicily, Italy

At an extremely attractive location (the headland in the vicinity of the historical city of Syracuse), characterized by the lighthouse with its abandoned accompanying objects, a Design Hotel (with the total area of 3000m²) is estabilished.

Considering a wider urban matrix, the position of future hotel represents, in spatial sense, an extension of the street leading to the lighthouse. This landmark point defines a starting point for a newly constructed structure by supporting it up linearly to islets on the shore of Mediterranean Sea.

The composition of the building in its sculptural form is made from the existing lighthouse and a new structure. By significance and verticality, the lighthouse dominates in the panoramic view, and the new horizontal structure (with the height of 4m) opposes the existing verticality as its counterpoint. United in a new design, the hotel will leave a recognizable mark and give a fresh appeal to this location.

The new structure of Design Hotel is in a delicate physical and functional contact with the lighthouse, not affecting its spatial significance and vistas from both land and the sea. It is also distanced from a rocky terrain and in that way it maintains its existing unique ambient, leaving it almost untouched and authentic.

The existing lighthouse complex is functionally converted into a reception hall and a gallery from which you can access a new multifunctional corridor that starts with the foyer. The multifunctional corridor represents the main axis of the object and apart from its primary connecting function, it contains workshop areas, display areas, areas for relaxation and gatherings. The corridor enables the building to transform its character according to the needs and requirements. In that context, there are a foyer, accommodation area,

workshops spaces, as well as a lounge, all grouped around the corridor. The corridor, in all of its length, has a changing function, and in its end there is an enchanting viewpoint - a platform towards the open sea. This intricately planned physical and functional pervasion of the corridor and side-facilities creates a contemporary hotel mechanism.

As the most delicate contact between the corridor and surrounding facilities, in terms of tranquility and privacy, the contact between the corridor and accommodation area is marked. In that area of the multifunctional corridor, the corridor's sides segregate into two half-meter risen levels. In this way, the multifunctional corridor retains its direction towards the headland and the sea, and provides the users an adequate perception of this multifunctional space. Between these two levels and the main multifunctional corridor, there are large movable multipurpose panels as an additional cover. These panels would also ennoble the space and they could be used for presentations and exhibitions.

Physical ending of the corridor is the viewpoint platform which is connected vertically with the pontoon on the sea.

The existing side buildings are reconstructed in accordance with their authentic look and adapted for catering services of the hotel guests. On the lighthouse building there are no interventions as indicated in the contest's terms.