AURA ARCADE IN GREECE

Aura Arcade is a proposed luxury retail and hospitality destination located in the heart of Fira, Santorini. Set on a sloping site with two contrasting points of access, one from a busy commercial street and the other from a quieter pedestrian route, the project reimagines an existing mini mall as an inward-facing arcade defined by movement, atmosphere, and discovery.

Conceived as a must-visit destination, Aura Arcade is designed to balance exclusivity with accessibility, appealing both to high-end visitors and the wider international tourist flow passing through Santorini. The development brings together ground and first-floor retail with a rooftop restaurant and members-oriented hospitality space, conceived to operate seamlessly from daytime to evening. While individual luxury tenants will ultimately customise their own interiors, the architectural focus is placed on the shared public realm, exterior identity, and spatial sequence that define the collective experience of the arcade.

The concept for Aura Arcade draws from the architectural language of the Cyclades, celebrating arches, white rendered volumes, and soft transitions between interior and exterior spaces, while introducing a contemporary layer of expression through light, art, and adaptable spatial interventions. The project avoids overt or mass-market luxury cues, instead pursuing a sense of quiet luxury rooted in material authenticity, spatial clarity, and a strong connection to place.

A continuous spatial journey links both entrances, improving accessibility and guiding visitors inward through a sequence of arches and open passages. At the centre of the scheme, a generous courtyard forms the social and circulation heart of the arcade, activated through programmable lighting and projection that support digital art, brand storytelling, and evening events. These elements allow the architecture to shift character over the course of the day, reinforcing Aura Arcade as both a retail destination and a cultural setting.