Apokryfo Hotel
LOFOU VILLAGE - CYPRUS
COMPLETED 2009
RESTORATION
PHOTO CREDITS - VICTOR HADJIKYRIACOU
Apokryfo is a small, family-run boutique hotel located in the traditional village of Lofou, nestled in the foothills of the Troodos mountains. Designed by Vakis Associates as part of a broader effort to revitalize the island's rural areas, the project involved the careful restoration and adaptation of a cluster of listed stone buildings into a 15-room guesthouse.
The design approach aimed to respect and respond to the existing character of the village, using locally sourced materials and traditional building techniques. Natural stone from the region, combined with handcrafted timber detailing, played a key role in anchoring the project within its historical and cultural context. Local craftsmen were engaged throughout the process, helping to ensure an authentic and sensitive transformation.
The layout weaves together the original structures into a cohesive whole, with a series of connected spaces that include guest rooms, independent houses, a restaurant, seminar room, spa, wine cellar, and rooftop terrace. The hotel’s outdoor areas—courtyards, terraces, and shaded niches—were carefully designed to make use of the irregular site and encourage moments of rest and reflection with views over the surrounding landscape.
Apokryfo was among the first projects on the island to be supported through EU agrotourism funding and was envisioned as a model for rural regeneration. The project explores how thoughtful architecture can contribute to the revival of Cyprus’s traditional villages, not by replicating the past, but by building on its foundations with care and clarity.
