Krinos: a historical building with a rich tradition

In an old black & white photograph, taken more than half a century ago, one can spot the small houses of the village and among them, near the sea, a building with a strikingly different facade stands out from the rest, appearing deserted. Above its main entrance door an old sign displays the name "Krinos". It is the once imposing hotel of the village.

This longstanding building, bearing distinct signs of decay from the passage of time in the form of a semi-collapsed rooftop, a faded front and quasi-open arched shutters, had an irresistible allure, a charming challenge which was hard to resist. The grand lustre of its past desperately called for a revival.

The restoration of the aged building demanded large scale architectural work and effort, always bearing in mind the need to conserve its original elements and purity of architectural form. This necessity was further imposed by the local Tourist Authorities and the European Union, which selectively sponsored the project as a part of their effort to preserve and revive old traditional buildings.
During the restoration process plenty of elements from previous developmental phases of the building came to light, gradually revealing its respective use throughout the times. The initial construction phase in the 19th century (1860) provides evidence of an undivided two-storey stone built gallery of elongated shape. Looking at the main axis of the building’s interior on can see thick beams supporting a part of the upper floor to the east side, which was made from clay and packed hay. The main wall displayed marks from beams supporting an attic. It is apparent from the shape of the building that it served the function of a workshop. Several years later, adjacent to the south side of the building, a two- storey construction bearing the shape of a house was added.
At the beginning of the 20th century (1909) the original building facade was completed with masonry. Inside, novel spaces were formed to serve the building’s new function. The main workspace was converted to a guesthouse for the visitors of the island. Gradually, with additional repair work and alterations, the guesthouse was transformed into a hotel under the name (lilly of the sea), a name inspired by the scented lillies (pancratium maritimum) flourishing in the nearby beach. This flower was considered sacred during antiquity and is nowadays included in the list of endangered species.
According to history books, towards the end of the 18th century merchant ships regularly moored at the dock of the small bay of Batsi, loading local products for markets in both the East and the West. From the 16th century onwards silk trade was flourishing in many Cycladic islands, and silk products originating from Andros were famous due to their excellent quality, coloring and durability.
The traditional building stands today as a witness of native history. According to local customs and carefully gathered supporting clues, it was initially housing a silk-weaving workshop. In later years, with silk becoming an important source of income for the local population, it was used as a silk-weaving school. For this reason an annex was added, in order to shelter the trainees and give them the opportunity to learn the applied techniques in the best possible way. The silk industry was heavily stricken by the rapid spread of touristic development in the Greek islands. This led to the transformation of the building into a hotel unit that operated for several years and had paid host to famous guests and travellers, thinkers as well as seekers of peace and of the Aegean Dream. Among the distinguished visitors were O. Elytis, M. Karagatsis and the great thinker, writer and poet Andreas Empeirikos, in whose honour the street on which the hotel is situated was named "Andreas Empeirikos Street".