A long-lasting collaboration that involves exterior/interior design as well as art direction for a resort truly in tune with nature. Inspired by Chalkidiki’s unique ecosystem, where rounded stone volumes and pine trees are in direct contact with the sea, we strived to develop creative solutions that underline nature’s presence and invite visitors to reflect on their relationship with it.

Exterior spaces and treehouse
The typical Mediterranean Pine tree (Pinus Pinea), which is found in the region, was the archetype of the project. Starting from the lower parts of the Pine tree, the roots are translated into various paths leading visitors gradually towards the sea shore and eventually branching inside the sea itself. Going higher up the tree-trunk, one finds the tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius), an umbrella-shaped fungal species, that inspired us for the new shade coverings of the lounge area. The pine needles themselves become protagonists of the resort functioning as dividers and coverings taking the shape of articulate patterns that evolve in the restaurants, bar and in particular the Treehouse itself. Inside the tree’s branches though, there are also parasitic organisms such as the Pine Processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) whose larvae form silk-like nests and constitute the inspiration for the ‘cocoon’ that wraps around the gourmet restaurant of the Treehouse. A seemingly negative connotation that creates yet a scenic setting hopefully making people reflect on their role within such a context while providing a unique gourmet experience, admiring the sea from within the tree’s embrace. The studio’s intention with the above metaphor and other related elements within the project is to underline, in a symbolic way, the transition of the visitor’s role from parasitic to symbiotic creating a harmonic relationship between humans and nature.

Pier & Suites
From the pathways generated by the roots of the Pine tree, comes the pathway generated for the pier, the final element of the connection between land, beach and sea, a platform floating on the calm marine water. Nature is here at the centre of interior spaces as well. It in fact comes inside the suites through big openings and framed with raw materials creating natural frames. Here, traditional Greek textiles and additional elements representing natural scenes are mixed with contemporary design and furniture. Wallpapers from the Contemporary Murals series.

Beach Houses
In the last 100 years we are witnessing rapid changes in our surrounding environment due to the ever changing climate conditions that we ourselves have accelerated. With sea water levels rising noticeably, coastlines often testify these changes claiming man-made structures that were built precariously. The beach kiosks at ekies resort are a site specific architectural installation that wants to bring attention to the issue utilising an ironic approach which results in a series of structures that seem partially submerged in the sand. The architectural language adopted is a mix of traditional western architecture coupled with elements from the playful style of beach culture.

Canopy
A human-made canopy imitating that of a forest and its layers, in a sequencing of horizontal overlays that symbiotically completes its natural surroundings, in order to create spaces of both light and shade. The emergent and forest layers are made of all existing tall pine and palm trees, the understory layers are a hybrid of medium-sized trees and roofed sections where the light gets filtered through multiple sheets until they reach the forest floor, composed of low plants and small trees, which live protected under the numerous covers.

Common areas
The outdoor section called for a unique design that harmonises with its stunning natural surroundings. For this concept, we envisioned an XXXL terrazzo-inspired flooring made of oversized irregularly-shaped marble slabs set into concrete that joins all the outdoor areas into a concept both cohesive and visually striking. Custom-made pebble sofas allow the space to flow organically in and around its environment, while creating various areas of privacy.

Interior, furniture & lighting design, art direction : CTRLZAK Art & Design Studio
Construction and project supervision : Thimios Apostolakis, KMP engineering
Architectural design : Agarch + Architects
Landscape design : Fytron O.E. (Michalis Petsaggourakis)
Photos : Vangelis Somarakis, Nikos Vavdinoudis & Christos Dimitriou, Anima – Vision / Nick Kontostavlakis
Discover more on : ekies.gr

Literally meaning “sunlight filtering through trees,” Komorebi captures more than just the beauty of a forest. It expresses a deep sense of connection and belonging between humans and nature—a quiet reminder that we are part of the natural world, not separate from it. The new Bubo restaurant underlines the importance of this relationship, unveiling the hidden nature of pine trees by interpreting their structure and activity—from how sunlight is filtered by their needles to the microscopic processes that make these giant organisms so essential to the surrounding ecosystem.

Komorebi
The interior evokes the immersive feeling of being in a forest, from the slanted columns that mimic tree trunks supporting the roof to the weathered, perforated metal ceiling panels that symbolize the vascular system of a pine. This ceiling creates a dialogue with the surrounding pine trees while concealing the ventilation and lighting systems that mimics the natural interplay of light and shadow filtering through a forest canopy, blurring the line between architecture and nature. CTRLZAK collaborated with Reflect Lights studio in order to design the lighting solutions. Going beyond just a description of light, komorebi also conveys a sense of tranquility and beauty through an immersion into the natural world. Custom-designed furniture—including dining tables, sofas, space dividers, and curtains—further reinforce the restaurant’s concept, creating a cohesive and immersive experience.

Natural materials
The restaurant’s atmosphere is enriched by its exploration of the regional landscape, expressed through the use of earthen finishes and locally sourced marble. This connection is especially evident on the restaurant floor, where two types of marble transition in a soft yet random gradient toward the beach. The same materials extend into the bathroom and outdoor spaces, grounding the design in its natural environment. The cave-like bathroom serves as a natural temple, signifying the origin of water from the mountain, and also as a bridge between interior and exterior. It features a spring-like installation that emerges from a rock and guides water through the wall to a fountain outside the building, inspired by mountain waterways. In the beach area, a large-scale wall mural and bespoke furniture evoke the transformation of the land, drawing on natural processes—such as geological stratification—to reflect the ongoing evolution of the landscape. Together, these elements create an immersive environment where architecture and nature are seamlessly intertwined.

Bathroom
The bathroom design is rooted in a harmonious blend of meditative austerity and natural tranquillity. Like a sanctuary of relaxation, it features multiple arches informed by traditional Greek culture, and a massive stone, focal point of the space, from which a stream emerges and where the water flows until outside. These stone and fountain elements are opposing the earth-textured walls, the marble slab encased in concrete on the floor, the various rusted steel elements and the infinite mirrors that surround the space, creating a contemporary temple for reflection between nature and artifice.

Interior design, furniture & art direction : CTRLZAK Art & Design Studio
Construction and project supervision : Thimios Apostolakis, Ioannis Kostoulas
Lighting design : Reflect Lights
Photos : CTRLZAK, Elias Joidos
Discover more on : ekies.gr

Under CTRLZAK’s direction, the brand explores the Mediterranean not simply as a place, but as a layered condition — geological, historical and symbolic. From rocky coastlines and sun-bleached landscapes to archetypes shaped by centuries of exchange, the Mediterranean emerges as a living archive of forms and meanings.

A series of objects designed for Urbi et Orbi and developed within the Art Direction we conceived for the brand. Each piece responds to the conceptual framework guiding the collection: the exploration of the Mediterranean through both its geological and cultural landscape. The fragments emerge from the stratification of materials, histories, and influences that have accumulated over time across the Mediterranean basin. The collection reflects this overlapping of natural processes and human narratives, translating it into a set of contemporary artifacts.

The Legante tables are crafted from cast concrete, combined with pieces of materials sourced from the remnants of a nearby marble workshop and a traditional ceramic studio, adding an extra dimension of sustainability to their dynamic inspiration. This fusion creates a contemporary terrazzo, reflecting the diverse cultural mosaic of the Mediterranean basin. People sailing across its waters exchanged goods and knowledge, leaving traces of their passing, lifestyles, and constructions, building cities with local stones, terracotta bricks, and tiles. Discover more on : urbietorbi.gr

Relia collection is a duo of sculptural washbasins, where each piece is a contemporary reinterpretation of classic forms, blending clean geometry with refined detailing. Their elegant lines and architectural presence create a sense of quiet luxury in any environment — from minimalist interiors to eclectic or softly traditional spaces.

The erosion shower tray features distinctive grooves shaped as if naturally carved by water over time, allowing it to flow smoothly without accumulating. The surface also incorporates stone-like elements that reinforce the natural reference to eroded soil, staying true to the original design concept.

A collection of geologically informed everyday items, cast in concrete and characterised by earthen tones. Stratification is the overlapping of various mineral compositions, where the upper layers are younger than the ones under them, showing the passing of time in stacks of diverse deposits. The Mediterranean basin is home to a multitude of diverse geological phenomena, with a rich story of sedimentation, erosion, and strong volcanic activity, all of which contribute to make a unique stratified environment. This concept makes us reflect on our conception of time through the geological spectrum in the Mediterranean and our planet as a whole. You can find stools and tables in the exterior design project for Ekies Resort’s Bubo Restaurant. Discover more on : urbietorbi.gr

A creative journey where we orchestrated an eclectic brand since its inception, expanding into a multitude of expressions. From alternative design objects, futuristic exhibitions, theatrical performances, artistic events and numerous collaborations, our art direction for JCP Universe has been an innovative space where culture meets commerce. A fusion between art and design, the brand’s creations blend classic and contemporary style in a surprising new idiom that defies the norms. The unique objects featured go beyond mere aesthetics, trends and common taste promising to transform everyday life. JCP is an imaginative universe that transforms our normality by encouraging us to reflect on our own way of life, here on planet Earth. Discover more on the Artifacts and the Art Direction of the brand on : jcpuniverse.com

A selection of the pieces that we designed throughout the years during our collaboration with JCP Universe. The archetypal forms of the pieces and the careful selection of their components reflect the aeons of cosmic transformation that gave life to everything we perceive. The focus is placed upon the mutable essence of nature, merging innovation with tradition in a new genre of objects that become vehicles of imagination for us to reflect and interpret our way of life in this precise moment of space-time, here on planet Earth. Discover more on the Artifacts and Art Direction also on : jcpuniverse.com

A research project on the issue of species extinction and the loss of biodiversity caused by humans. Extinction by definition is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms (taxon), normally a species. Most great extinction events in the past are caused by ’normal’ evolutionary dynamics (glaciations, volcanic eruptions and other unpredictable natural events such as the collision of an asteroid) but the long course of extinctions is increasing in a frenetic rhythm not related to any past events. In the last centuries especially the phenomenon of extinction is inversely proportional to anthropogenic action (for example: deforestation, territories’ conversion in agricultural or farming areas, urbanisation, pollution, introduction of non-native species, the continuous rise of global temperature, etc.). Discover more about our research here.

A series of carpets that explores a variety of themes connecting humans with their domestic and natural environment. Forcing a change of perspective, our creations for YO2 invite people to reflect on what is hidden in plain sight. Discover more on : yo2.io

The art direction of a brand where cannabis acts a symbol of an alternative approach to life. Nowadays we finally understand that our actions influence everything around us and that we need a new sustainable lifestyle that is slower and more conscious. A lifestyle connected to nature on more than one level. Erba del Chianti is a brand that promotes exactly this lifestyle having as a paradigm the prodigious plant of Cannabis. A plant both practical and spiritual that can accommodate many of our needs and the cultivation of which does not weigh heavily on the planet. Erba del Chianti is a synonym to Cannabis Renaissance, a new movement that aims to put back Cannabis at the centre of our lives both as a material and as a spiritual guide of a more conscious and sustainable lifestyle. Rurality is the New Luxury. Discover more on : erbadelchianti.it

An art installation about water created in collaboration with JCP Universe, for the Design on Water exhibition by Luisa via Roma, on the river Arno. The installation enhances the essence and the importance of water in its multiple forms. The visitor becomes involved using all his senses in an experiential journey of transparencies and reflections. To look, listen and taste water are some of the implemented actions in Waterness; a path of conscience and personal reflection on the value of water and our direct relationship with this element. The installation consists of large mirror slabs that symbolically recreate Arno’s surface. On them are positioned “Dolmlod“- a piece designed by CTRLZAK studio for JCP Universe – along with a multitude of glass containers of different sizes. Through an infusion process the containers are filled with water, drop by drop, forming a symbiotic connection between symbolism and substance.

We created especially for this project, a collection of glasses named Level. The glasses, having the same shape and size, differ in the filled quantity of water, creating a layering of shapes and volumes that highlight not the form but the content. The installation is completed through an action of water tasting, using samples from different countries where there are issues related to water. The aim is to create awareness around these issues in the historical moment that we live in. Drinking water is a limited resource essential to life, but still in many countries there is contaminated water that causes diseases, infections and ultimately deaths. Waterness is an invitation to reflect and to underline everybody’s responsibility towards the greatest gift this planet has to offer: water.

A project that explores the microorganisms found in food and water but that are normally invisible to the naked eye. The project is based on the enlarged representation of certain radiolarians and mycetes that were carefully selected and arranged in order to be printed on fabric. The patterns created for aprons, kitchen towels, tablecloths and napkins are thus inspired by the micro-ecosystem that we live with every day. At the same time the arrangements of the compositions evoke traditional floral designs that could be found in similar items of old. Each design is meticulously printed in Prato, Italy by master craftsmen on linen-blend fabric. See other projects on the Invisible and discover more on : pamono.eu

A contemplative piece that crystallises the perception of time. Time is something that cannot be seen, cannot be touched, smelled or be tasted. How is it then that we can visualise this vague concept within the physical space that we perceive with our senses? Hegel in the first section of his book “The Philosophy of Nature” (§257) says: “Space ‘is’ time, that is time is the ‘truth’ of space”. In other words time gives life to space as it manifests its existence through space. One of the core characteristics of time is its irreversibility. This attribute of time can easily be perceived through the element of movement. Whenever we perceive movement the concept of time is embedded within our understanding and is sufficient proof of the fact that a certain period of time has passed. Sand clocks were among the first instruments that man devised to visually perceive and measure time.

Timeless utilises the properties of traditional materials in reviewing this nearly forgotten object. The main body is made of mouth-blown borosilicate glass, respecting the traditional manufacturing techniques, providing the transparency and resistance that other solid materials lack thanks to its amorphous molecular properties. Inside the glass vial though instead of sand are found refined iron fillings that trickle from one compartment to the other, revealing the passage of time not only through their movement but also through the creation of a small spatial crystalline structure. The base and supporting elements are made of brass, a metal that is traditionally used for scientific instruments and precision machinery. Furthermore its low magnetic permeability allows the magnet hidden in its base to interact unhindered with the iron fillings contained within the main glass body. Time is thus doubly revealed to the observer not only through perpetual movement but also through the properties of the materials that contain its visualisation. Find other contemplative objects on JCP Artifacts and discover more on : secondome.it

A concept store located in the island of Mykonos which brings together historical replicas from various Greek archaeological museums. CTRLZAK studio is responsible for the entire design concept, which can be broken down to three main axes: stratification, excavation sites and museological representation. These themes were approached in different ways independently and then grouped together through the use of materials/colours and lighting. The central display area consists of white asymmetric volumes inspired by the fragmented stone slabs found on archaeological sites that become simple display units for the largest part of the exhibits. The pavement reflects the defined area of the site — depicted by Pentelikon Greek marble — and the habitual peripheral pathways (created by wooden planks of diverse measurements) that cover the remaining part of the space.

The main back-wall area becomes a large stratified display installation where the primary materials used are represented: marble, brass and olive wood. Finally the brass lighting elements designed by CTRLZAK exclusively for this project were arranged in space based on the grid concept that is followed in excavation sites in order to divide the archaeological space in defined research areas emphasising thus the importance of each item exhibited. The whole project was supported by a meticulous graphic design study developed in collaboration with Athens based studio Sereal designers in accordance with the general design concept.

An eclectic armchair project inspired by nature’s geometry. Quartz is a system that couples two-dimensional pentagonal and hexagonal wooden structures, which develop in three dimensions following natural crystalloid formations. The geometric volumes are covered with ecological fabrics in mixed colour variations producing an end result that resembles more a wild microhabitat than an armchair. The Quartz armchair is produced by Italian company D3CO. Discover more on : d3co.it

Two furniture pieces inspired by a symbolic buddhist tradition. On a mountain near a Buddhist temple Thanos & Katia discovered a peculiar practice: tiny sticks placed underneath massive boulders, appearing to support them but too small to bear the stone’s weight. Three years later this has been the inspiration for CTRLZAK’s D\Zen project, in which this meeting of great weight and delicacy takes the form of two different pieces of furniture. In the past it is probable that these sticks were placed beneath the stones by monks and had sutras carved on them. The exact original meaning of this folk tradition is unclear, although it could be the expression of a request, a vow, or a testimony. Although the different forms of Buddhism have diverse practices, this specific one is unusual. It is certainly a gesture within the Zen spirit, which has been the foundation of this project’s creative process. It also followed Zen principles of slow and fast, movement and stillness, transformation and balance; above all an open process with open results which aims to be nothing more than what it is. Discover more on : artemest.com

D\ZEN´s balanced volumes are inspired by a rare combination of nature and man’s respectful intervention. They are archetypal forms that sustain objects and people, imperfect forms in perfect balance. Throughout the long development process the importance was placed in conveying the essence of nature and the balance of things. The stick is man’s little touch, which supports nature but reminds us that everything is temporary.