In Galatsi, an 85m² apartment from the early 1990s is reorganized around a continuous furniture element that turns the boundary between communal and private space into a space of its own.

 

In Galatsi, Athens, Space is around us transforms an 85m² apartment dating from the early 1990s by rethinking the conventional boundary between communal and private space. Rather than treating the renovation as a sequence of separate rooms, the project introduces a continuous architectural language in which furniture, circulation and materiality operate as a single system.

At the centre of this strategy is a multifunctional element that replaces the narrow corridor and door traditionally separating the living areas from the bedrooms. Conceived as a spatial threshold rather than a fixed boundary, it becomes the organizing spine of the apartment.

 

A threshold as an architectural device

Beginning at the entrance, the continuous furniture element accommodates coats and shoes before transforming into a laundry unit. It then directs movement towards the private areas and continues seamlessly into the kitchen cabinetry.

Storage, appliances and circulation are therefore consolidated within a single architectural gesture. The element does more than organize functions: it mediates between communal and private space, gradually changing its role as it extends through the apartment.

This idea also informs the treatment of the ceiling. Above the entrance and kitchen, a lowered plane finished in the same brown tone creates a subtle visual boundary while concealing the ductwork of the ceiling-mounted cooker hood.

 

A new centre for domestic life

The former separation between the kitchen and living areas is removed in favour of an open-plan arrangement. Kitchen, dining and sitting areas are brought together, allowing everyday domestic activities to overlap more freely.

A large island occupies the centre of the space. Incorporating the ceramic hob, it brings cooking and food preparation into the social core of the apartment.

Its sculptural character is reinforced through a cladding of polished Emperador Dark marble. The deep brown veining strengthens the monolithic quality of the island, while the reflective surface helps diffuse natural light through the room.

 

The reorganization of the plan also makes it possible to convert the former storage room into a WC. As a result, the existing bathroom becomes a master bathroom with direct access from the main bedroom. A ribbed-glass door introduces a more nuanced degree of privacy between the two spaces.

 

 

Warm materials and existing traces

The apartment’s north-eastern orientation informed the choice of warm brown and mocha tones, which respond to the softer morning light. Brown lacquer defines the continuous filter furniture and the wardrobe of the smaller bedroom, while natural oak veneer adds a warmer texture to the main bedroom.

Large-format ceramic slabs replace the original tiled surfaces in the wet and circulation areas. By contrast, the existing oak parquet in both bedrooms was retained, restored and returned to its natural tone.

The coexistence of new and existing materials allows the original apartment to remain legible within the renovation. Rather than erasing its previous identity, the intervention establishes continuity between what was retained and what was introduced.

 

The generous terrace overlooking Alsos Veikou extends the interior outdoors. Organized into dining and lounge zones, it becomes an additional living area and reinforces the relationship between the apartment and its surroundings.

Ultimately, Threshold reinterprets the typical Athenian apartment through a series of transitions: between public and private, open and enclosed, furniture and architecture, existing and new. Here, the threshold is no longer understood as a dividing line, but as a space in its own right.

A modernist house in Chalandri, built in 1969–1970, is renovated around open-plan living, ceramic claustra and a reworked pilotis, with references to Greek critical regionalism.

 

The renovation of a modernist residence in Chalandri, originally built between 1969 and 1970, is grounded in the principles of the existing structure while introducing references to Greek critical regionalism.

Motus Design & Architecture reinterpret the building’s original identity through a contemporary architectural vocabulary, balancing continuity with a new approach to domestic life.

 

Reorganising domestic life

The main living areas adopt an open-plan configuration that strengthens spatial continuity and creates visual connections through the residence. Three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, provide functional clarity and privacy.

Their distribution also establishes different degrees of independence within the house. The children’s bedrooms are located on the upper floor, while the main bedroom occupies the ground level, and the living room is conceived to accommodate different patterns of everyday use.

Material and colour choices reinforce this organisation. Terracotta tones, timber surfaces and tiled finishes establish a warm palette, while built-in elements are treated as part of the architectural composition rather than as autonomous furnishings.

 

Ceramic claustra as a Mediterranean filter

A central architectural device is the strategic use of ceramic claustra. These permeable screens define and organise both interior and exterior spaces without interrupting their visual continuity.

Their perforated geometry filters sunlight and softens its intensity. The resulting interplay of light and shadow refers to Mediterranean architectural traditions, giving the screens both environmental and spatial significance.

Rather than acting as decorative surfaces, the ceramic elements become active boundaries. They let light and views pass through while creating varying degrees of separation, privacy and transparency.

 

Extending the interior outdoors

The existing pilotis is incorporated into the new design as an essential outdoor living area. It mediates between the interior of the house and its quiet urban surroundings, extending domestic activity beyond the enclosed rooms.

Within this sheltered exterior space, a small swimming pool reflects the volume of the building above. A tall rectangular wall frames it and provides a strong architectural backdrop.

 

The project works through a measured reinterpretation of the existing modernist structure. Open-plan living, ceramic filters and the integration of the pilotis create a sequence of spaces in which interior and exterior remain closely connected.

 

The project was first published in print in ek307 | May 2026.

The conversion of two old warehouses into an architectural studio became an exercise in reuse for P4architecture. Rather than approaching the existing shell only as a functional container, the architects used it to reflect their own design process. Section and plan therefore become the main tools for organizing everyday work.

 

Three levels of design

The studio develops across three distinct levels. Meetings, presentations and daily discussions take place on the ground floor. Below, the basement accommodates the model workshop and materials library. Physical models, construction-detail prototypes and material palettes are produced there.

By contrast, the mezzanine is dedicated to digital design. A central worktable accommodates the main workstations, while diffused natural light reaches the upper level.

These different activities converge on the ground floor. An elongated table receives models, sketches, diagrams and material samples. At the same time, a large pin-up board displays material from projects in progress. As a result, collective work remains visible and becomes part of the studio’s daily spatial experience.

 

A tiered structure at the centre

An inclined timber seating structure connects the ground floor with the mezzanine. It operates simultaneously as circulation, seating and a place from which discussions can be followed.

Along its sides, movement towards the basement is combined with supporting functions. These include a reading area, kitchen, bathroom and storage. Consequently, the timber structure becomes a central mechanism within the plan rather than an autonomous piece of furniture.

Slender metal-framed glazing brings daylight into the two narrow ends of the space. To the west, the studio opens towards the city and the ordered façade of the Athenian apartment building. To the east, it faces the rear courtyards of the surrounding blocks.

Pipes, air-conditioning units and other everyday elements remain visible on this side. Thus, the contrasting faces of Athens become part of the working environment rather than something concealed from it.

 

 

Between archive and ongoing work

The two long walls of the existing shell also take on an active role. Along one side, a continuous metal-and-timber bookcase holds books, artworks, models and archival material from completed projects.

Opposite it, a large pin-up board is constantly updated. Sketches, references, ideas and material from current projects document the office’s ongoing design process. One wall therefore operates as an archive of accumulated knowledge, while the other changes with the present.

Through this organization, the P4architecture Workshop is conceived as more than a conventional workplace. Model making, digital design and collective discussion remain visually and spatially connected. In this way, the reuse of the existing shell becomes part of the process through which architecture itself is produced.

At the Hyades Mountain Resort in Trikala Korinthias, Tenon Architecture transforms an existing space into a hospitality interior organized around a continuous timber structure.

 

Completed in 2020, The Wooden Cave combines algorithmic design with manual construction. Its spatial identity emerges from the contrast between a curved wooden interior and a darker stone perimeter.

 

Two distinct spatial zones

The plan is divided into two main zones. At its centre, a continuous curved structure organizes the principal space. Around it, secondary areas face the surrounding landscape and are finished in dark local stone.

The contrast between the two materials establishes a clear spatial hierarchy. The stone perimeter forms a heavier outer layer. By contrast, the timber structure creates a softer internal enclosure. Its geometry refers to the idea of the cave as a protected interior without literally reproducing a natural form.

Two sleeping areas are integrated directly into the wooden structure. An open-plan kitchen occupies the same central zone. Meanwhile, the perimeter accommodates the entrance, a sitting area with a fireplace and the bathroom.

As a result, furniture, surfaces and spatial divisions are treated as parts of a single architectural system rather than as separate additions.

 

Timber and environmental performance

Material selection plays a central role in the project. The curved structure is constructed from sawn spruce timber. By contrast, the kitchen, cupboards, flooring and other built-in elements use knot-free pine plywood. Dark local stone defines the secondary spaces.

The timber construction does not touch the existing concrete shell directly. Instead, a gap between the two allows air to circulate continuously. This protects the wood while also using its natural properties to help regulate indoor humidity and temperature.

Such passive regulation is particularly relevant to the mountainous location. Trikala Korinthias experiences considerable temperature variations throughout the year. Therefore, the construction detail contributes both to the durability of the timber and to the environmental performance of the interior.

 

From algorithm to handcraft

The curved structure consists of 1,112 individually shaped timber elements. The geometry of each piece was generated algorithmically and then transferred to the construction site.

However, no digital fabrication machinery was used in their production. The individual elements were processed manually and organized into 55 larger modules. Each unit was then carved and adjusted by hand before final assembly.

The construction was undertaken by Tenon Architecture founders Apostolos Mitropoulos and Thanos Zervos themselves. The timber structure was completed without external carpenters or specialist fabrication teams.

Consequently, one of the main challenges was translating digitally generated drawings into clear instructions for manual woodworking. The final result brings the two methods together. Algorithmic logic determines the geometry, while handcraft gives the structure its final form and texture.

Through this approach, construction becomes an extension of the design process. Spatial organization, material performance and fabrication are integrated into a single interior system.

The conversion of an existing 2,000m² industrial complex creates a contemporary workplace where open-plan offices, visitor areas and logistics functions are combined with a material palette of cement mortar, timber, metal and glass, alongside a substantial energy and technological upgrade.

 

The KAFEA TERRA offices in Thessaloniki by IPODOMI occupy an existing industrial complex in Kalochori that was renovated and repurposed to accommodate the company’s new branch facilities. The 2,000m² programme combines offices with visitor and training areas, technical support spaces and a 1,000m² logistics warehouse, reorganizing three existing buildings around the requirements of a contemporary workplace.

The intervention addresses both the architectural shell and the internal organization. Large openings, new infill walls and a renewed façade increase the building’s openness, while the interior is structured around visual continuity, shared spaces and a restrained palette of materials.

 

Adapting an industrial complex

The change of use required significant modifications to the existing structures.

A 140m² metal mezzanine was introduced within one of the three buildings, while an accessible elevator was added to the central volume. New large-scale openings alter the relationship between interior and exterior, and the façades are unified through white aluminium composite panels.

Rather than concealing the industrial origin of the complex, the intervention uses its scale and existing structural logic as the basis for the new programme. The result is a series of larger, interconnected areas that can accommodate different modes of work while maintaining a clear overall organization.

 

Visitors below, offices above

The programme is distributed according to different levels of access and privacy.

The ground floor accommodates the functions addressed primarily to visitors: reception, a communal lounge, product display, seminar room and supporting employee facilities. These areas combine the company’s public-facing activities with spaces for training and presentation.

On the upper level, the administration offices and meeting room are arranged in an open-plan configuration. Glazed partitions provide acoustic and functional separation without interrupting visual continuity, while planted islands introduce softer elements between work zones.

The arrangement avoids a sequence of enclosed offices, favouring instead a more continuous working environment where transparency supports communication between teams.

 

Material continuity

The interior palette is deliberately limited to pressed cement mortar, timber, metal and glass.

The mineral character of the floor and wall surfaces is balanced by warmer timber elements, while black metal details give definition to furniture and partitions. Glass maintains openness between different functions and allows daylight to extend further into the plan.

Custom-designed furniture is integrated with KAFEA TERRA products and display elements, connecting the workplace with the company’s commercial identity without relying on extensive graphic branding.

The material strategy therefore operates at two levels: it preserves a degree of the industrial character of the existing shell while introducing the warmer and more controlled atmosphere required for offices, meetings and hospitality functions.

 

Energy and technological upgrade

The architectural renovation is accompanied by a broader upgrade of the building’s technical infrastructure.

A 100m² photovoltaic installation contributes to the building’s energy supply, while new VRV systems address heating and cooling requirements. Audiovisual equipment is connected through a centralized control system intended to simplify everyday operation.

The exterior areas were also reorganized, with new fencing, parking spaces equipped with electric-vehicle chargers and 430m² of planted beds. The additional landscape areas introduce greenery around the existing industrial complex and create visual connections from both visitor and employee spaces.

Through the combination of adaptive reuse, open-plan organization and technical upgrading, the project transforms a former industrial property into a workplace that accommodates administration, training, product presentation and logistics within a unified architectural framework.

 

The project was first published in print in ek290 | September 2024.

A 90m² apartment in Thiseio is renovated through selective retention rather than complete replacement, restoring its original parquet and marble floors while introducing palladiana made from marble offcuts, limewashed walls and a discreet upgrade of the existing building fabric.

 

The Thiseio Residence in Athens by Fineline Studio occupies a 90m² apartment from the 1960s, a few streets below the Acropolis. Rather than stripping the interior back to the concrete frame, the renovation begins with the material qualities already present in the apartment, restoring original parquet and marble floors and limiting new interventions to those required for its new use as short-term accommodation.

The existing apartment is treated as a material resource rather than an obsolete shell. Original surfaces are repaired where possible, while new elements are designed to complement rather than conceal them.

 

Restoring the existing floors

The most important material decision concerns the floor. Beneath later laminate finishes, the architects uncovered the apartment’s original parquet and marble surfaces. Instead of removing them, they were repaired and retained as part of the new interior.

Where new flooring was necessary, palladiana was laid using marble offcuts that would otherwise have been discarded. The technique recalls a material language once common in the Athenian polykatoikia, but is reintroduced here through reclaimed stone rather than as a nostalgic reproduction.

Old and new flooring meet on the same plane, allowing the transition between the original apartment and the contemporary intervention to remain clearly visible.

 

Palladiana from marble offcuts

The new palladiana provides both a practical and a material connection with the existing apartment. Fragments of marble in varying shapes and tones are incorporated into the floor rather than being discarded.

Their irregular composition contrasts with the linear geometry of the restored parquet while sharing a common mineral character with the existing marble. The distinction between preserved and newly introduced materials therefore remains legible without interrupting the continuity of the interior.

 

Few new elements, multiple functions

The apartment was prepared as a short-term let for a boutique hospitality developer, leading to a deliberately limited number of new additions. Open wardrobes reduce the need for extensive new joinery, while limewashed walls provide a simple, tactile finish.

Microcement is used in the bathrooms and on the kitchen counters, creating continuous surfaces that remain visually restrained against the retained floors.

A single integrated bench defines the edge between the kitchen, dining and living areas. Combining seating with storage, it organises the shared space without introducing an additional partition, concentrating several domestic functions within a small number of architectural elements.

 

Upgrading the existing fabric

A significant part of the renovation remains largely invisible. New glazing, insulation and upgraded building services are incorporated within the existing fabric without changing the material character of the apartment.

According to the project data, these interventions reduce operational energy demand by 46% and remove the need for oil-fired heating. The environmental upgrade is achieved primarily through improvements to the building envelope and technical systems rather than through a visibly technological interior, allowing the retained parquet, marble and existing spatial character to remain central to the project.

 

Reuse as a design method

The Thiseio Residence is defined less by the addition of new materials than by the decision to retain what was already available. Original parquet and marble floors remain visible, reclaimed marble becomes new palladiana, and a limited palette of limewash and microcement provides a quiet background for the existing fabric.

Fineline Studio uses the renovation to demonstrate how a typical Athenian apartment can be updated without erasing the material evidence of its period. New elements are concentrated where they are functionally necessary, while the existing construction is treated as the starting point of the design rather than as something to be removed.

The result is a contemporary interior in which the distinction between preserved and newly introduced materials remains deliberately legible.

A 3,100m² workplace for BESTSECRET in Munich translates the fashion platform’s restrained visual identity into a spatial environment defined by exposed concrete, mirrored surfaces, timber, textiles and flexible zones for collaborative and focused work.

 

The new BESTSECRET offices in Munich by HENN occupy seven floors of a building designed by LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei at the iCampus near Ostbahnhof. Completed in 2024, the 3,100m² interior accommodates around 125 employees and translates the identity of the online members-only fashion platform into a physical workplace through a restrained palette, contrasting textures and an emphasis on transparency.

Facing the city centre from the northern edge of the development, the building opens towards the Werksviertel and, in the distance, the Alps. The interior responds to this urban position by placing more open and communicative functions towards the active city side, while spaces requiring greater concentration are located along the quieter edge.

 

From digital identity to physical space

BESTSECRET’s digital platform is characterised by a reduced visual language intended to provide a neutral setting for multiple fashion brands. The interior follows a similar principle.

Warm grey walls, exposed concrete ceilings and light-grey seamless floors establish a restrained background rather than competing with the people, furniture and objects occupying the workplace. Reflective and mirrored surfaces extend the perceived dimensions of the spaces, while an extensive use of textiles introduces a direct reference to the fashion industry.

The material language relies on deliberate contrasts. Cool mirror surfaces are paired with warm timber; galvanised metal and exposed concrete are offset by curtains, upholstery and custom-made wooden furniture. The result is a workplace where industrial materials coexist with softer elements associated with domestic interiors.

 

Transparency across the floors

Despite differences in programme, the seven levels share a consistent principle of openness. Glazed partitions create visual continuity across each floor and allow views to extend from the centre of the building towards the exterior. The workplace is therefore divided functionally without becoming a sequence of isolated rooms.

On the ground floor, the boardroom is positioned so that it remains visible from outside and directly addresses the city. Opposite it, a lounge kitchen with a large communal table provides an informal meeting point for employees working on different floors. The lower level thus becomes both a representative and a collective part of the workplace.

 

Different settings for different ways of working

The upper floors introduce a broader range of working environments. Communicative co-working zones are complemented by quieter think-tank rooms intended for focused tasks. Floor-to-ceiling curtains allow these areas to be subdivided further, so the spatial arrangement can respond to changing requirements without relying exclusively on fixed partitions.

The distribution of functions is linked to the building’s orientation: open collaborative areas face the more active city centre, while rooms for individual concentration occupy the quieter side. Rather than organising the workplace around a uniform desk layout, the project creates a sequence of settings for different forms of work, communication and retreat.

 

Contrasting material qualities

Material contrast becomes one of the main tools for differentiating these settings while maintaining a coherent identity. Exposed concrete and galvanised metal retain the direct character of the architectural shell. Against them, custom-made timber furniture extends along the perimeter walls, incorporating benches, shelving and other smaller-scale functions.

Textiles soften the more industrial surfaces both acoustically and visually, while curtains operate simultaneously as material elements and as flexible spatial boundaries. The contrast between rigid and soft, reflective and matte, raw and finished surfaces gives the interior variation without requiring a broad material palette.

 

A workplace organised around openness

The BESTSECRET offices combine a lobby, workspaces, meeting rooms, a lounge kitchen, coffee bars and an event area within the seven-storey interior. HENN approaches these programmes through transparency, flexible zoning and a clear distinction between collaborative and focused environments.

The company’s restrained digital identity is translated into architecture not through literal branding, but through the controlled use of colour, material and reflective surfaces. The result is a workplace in which the neutral background associated with BESTSECRET’s online platform becomes a framework for everyday activity, while timber, textiles and communal spaces introduce a more informal dimension to the corporate interior.

A late-1970s duplex residence in Athens is renovated without erasing its original character, retaining the sculptural spiral stair, built-in cabinetry and ceramic surfaces while introducing a new layer of petrol blue, orange and red.

 

The duplex residence in Athens by Nefelia Studio approaches renovation as a process of continuity rather than replacement. Built in the late 1970s, the house already possessed a distinct architectural language, defined by a sculptural spiral stair, extensive built-in cabinetry, double-height spaces and original ceramic surfaces.

Instead of reducing the interior to a neutral shell, the intervention preserves these existing elements and uses colour and material to give them a new presence. The original spatial organization remains largely intact, while targeted additions establish a contemporary layer without concealing the age of the residence.

 

Working with the existing architecture

The renovation begins with the decision to retain the qualities already embedded in the house.

The original cabinetry, stair and ceramic finishes are treated as active components of the new design rather than as elements to be removed. Their proportions and positions continue to organize circulation, storage and the relationship between the different spaces.

This approach allows the architecture of the late 1970s to remain legible while avoiding a literal restoration of the period. The new interventions are clearly contemporary but develop through a direct relationship with the existing interior.

 

Petrol blue and an orange stair

Colour becomes one of the principal tools of the renovation.

Existing built-in cabinetry is retained and finished in a deep petrol blue. The continuous colour transforms the storage surfaces into a defining architectural element, organizing movement through the house and framing views between adjacent areas.

At the centre of the residence, the original spiral stair is reinterpreted in vivid orange. Its curved geometry and saturated colour emphasize its sculptural character and establish it as the main visual anchor within the double-height interior.

Rather than introducing colour as a decorative layer, the project uses it to clarify existing forms and reinforce their role within the spatial composition.

 

A new kitchen within the existing language

The newly constructed kitchen follows the same approach.

Petrol-blue cabinetry continues the colour established by the existing built-in elements, while glossy orange ceramic tiles introduce a reflective surface. A bright red sink adds a third, concentrated colour accent.

The combination is deliberately expressive but remains tied to architectural elements rather than loose decoration. Colour defines volumes, distinguishes functions and responds to changing light across the surfaces.

The kitchen consequently reads as a new intervention while remaining connected to the broader chromatic language of the residence.

 

Preserving the original bathrooms

The bathrooms demonstrate the same strategy of selective retention.

Original ceramic wall tiles are carefully preserved and combined with contemporary materials, fittings and restrained sanitary ware. The existing surfaces are not concealed in an attempt to make the rooms appear entirely new.

Instead, differences between the original construction and the contemporary additions remain visible.

The result acknowledges the age of the house while adapting the bathrooms to present-day use, maintaining a direct material connection with the original interior.

 

Colour, form and memory

Throughout the duplex, the intervention avoids unnecessary alteration of the existing spatial organization.

The project concentrates on the elements that already give the house its identity and strengthens them through colour, new finishes and carefully positioned additions. Built-in cabinetry remains part of the architectural structure, the spiral stair retains its central role and original ceramic surfaces continue to register the period in which the residence was built.

Nefelia Studio uses the renovation to establish new relationships between these existing elements rather than replacing them.

The house consequently retains the character of its late-1970s architecture while acquiring a distinctly contemporary chromatic identity. Petrol blue, orange and red become architectural tools within a project where continuity is valued over erasure.

Exposed concrete, natural textures and Brazilian furniture define the renovation of a 130m² apartment in São Paulo, where a reconfigured plan opens the social areas while retaining visible traces of the building’s 1970s structure.

The Jardins Apartment in São Paulo by AVAA Arquitetura is a 130m² residence within a building dating from the late 1970s. Designed for a couple, the renovation combines a complete infrastructure update with a reorganization of the original floor plan, while preserving structural elements such as the exposed concrete beams.

Rather than concealing the age of the building, the intervention retains selected existing elements and places them in dialogue with new timber surfaces, natural textures and contemporary furniture. The result is organized around greater continuity between the social spaces and a material palette that connects the apartment’s existing structure with the personal references of its residents.

 

An integrated social area

The new layout gives priority to the shared areas of the apartment.

The previously enclosed kitchen is opened towards the living and dining spaces and organized around a large central island. The kitchen consequently becomes part of everyday social activity, accommodating both meal preparation and gatherings with friends and family.

Access to the service area is concealed behind a flush door incorporated into the timber panelling of the dining area. Secondary functions are therefore absorbed within a continuous architectural surface, maintaining visual continuity across the main living space.

The living and dining areas are designed to support different activities without requiring fixed divisions. A double-sided sofa separates a more informal sitting area from the television zone, while a continuous bench extends along the room, providing seating and integrated storage.

 

Existing concrete and natural textures

Materiality establishes a direct relationship between the original building and the new interior.

The exposed concrete beams are retained as visible traces of the 1970s structure, allowing the construction of the building to remain legible within the renovated apartment. Against these harder surfaces, timber and natural textures introduce a more tactile layer.

Woven straw has particular significance within the material palette, referring to the Portuguese background of one of the residents. The reference is incorporated through material rather than decorative imagery, introducing a personal element within the broader architectural composition.

Walls and ceilings receive textured finishes in neutral tones. Their uneven surfaces respond subtly to changes in natural and artificial light, providing variation without introducing additional colours or decorative layers.

 

A powder room within the existing infrastructure

The powder room is created by reusing the plumbing shaft associated with the former service bathroom.

This adjustment takes advantage of the existing infrastructure while adapting the apartment to its new social organization. A countertop in Verde Vitória Régia quartzite becomes the principal material element, its manually finished surface emphasizing the natural variations of the stone.

Travertine mosaic flooring is combined with green-toned wallpaper, establishing a more concentrated material and colour palette than in the main living areas.

A watercolor depicting the resident’s family home in Portugal introduces another personal reference, connecting the renovated apartment in São Paulo with memories of a different domestic setting.

 

The private areas

The main suite was enlarged to incorporate a generous walk-in wardrobe with light timber cabinetry.

The lighter joinery contrasts with the darker herringbone flooring, while a vanity positioned beside the window takes advantage of natural light. Rather than treating the room as a collection of independent furniture pieces, several functions are incorporated within the overall composition.

A rectangular ottoman introduces additional texture, while a bench designed by the studio combines curved geometry with a subtle colour accent.

The guest suite has a dual function and can also operate as a home office. In everyday use, it provides a dedicated space for the couple’s two dogs, allowing the room to adapt according to changing domestic needs.

Lighting without lowering the ceiling

Maintaining the original ceiling height was a specific consideration of the renovation.

Rather than introducing extensive suspended ceilings to accommodate services and lighting, recessed details resolve technical requirements while organizing illumination in the social areas and circulation zones.

Indirect lighting with warm colour temperatures and dimmable controls allows the atmosphere to change according to the time and use of each space. The strategy is integrated with a complete renewal of the apartment’s plumbing and electrical systems, together with preparation for home automation.

The technical upgrade therefore remains largely discreet, allowing the exposed original structure and the proportions of the rooms to remain clearly visible.

Brazilian design within the interior

The furniture selection introduces a further layer to the apartment through a focus on Brazilian design.

A dining table designed by AVAA Design is integrated into the social area, while Sérgio Rodrigues’ Moleca armchair forms one of the principal pieces in the living room. Furniture and objects by Gustavo Bittencourt, Jader Almeida, Estúdio Orth and Mel Kawahara complete the selection.

The furniture is therefore not treated as a separate decorative layer. Together with the retained concrete, timber surfaces and natural textures, it contributes to an interior where the existing architecture, contemporary interventions and personal references remain simultaneously visible.

A comprehensive redesign of Rocabella Mykonos reorganizes the hotel as a sequence of sheltered paths, cave-like spaces and planted terraces, using stone, timber and earth-toned surfaces to establish a coherent identity across the existing complex.

The redesign of Rocabella Mykonos by Eleftherios Ambatzis began in 2022 as a comprehensive transformation of a hotel complex originally developed from 2000 onwards. The intervention encompasses the reconstruction of its interior and exterior spaces, the addition of new rooms and functions, and the reorganization of uses within the existing building fabric.

The project takes its conceptual cue from the hotel’s name—Rocabella, meaning “beautiful rock” in Italian—and from the granite formation that originally dominated the site. Part of this rock was excavated during earlier construction, while fragments remain dispersed throughout the communal areas. The new design draws on this geological reference to create spaces that appear carved into the terrain.

 

A sequence carved into the landscape

The spatial organization develops as a network of paths, corridors and changing levels rather than as a single continuous hotel volume.

These routes connect spaces of different proportions, degrees of enclosure and levels of privacy. Their irregular sequence evokes a system of cavities within the rock, alternating between protected interiors and openings towards the landscape.

The circulation becomes part of the hospitality experience itself. Narrower passages expand into terraces and communal areas, while changes in level generate a gradual transition between more exposed and more protected zones.

This organization gives the existing complex a clearer identity without relying on a uniform architectural gesture across every part of the site.

 

Different rooms within a common language

The guestrooms are deliberately differentiated from one another, following the idea that each occupies a distinct cavity within the “beautiful rock”.

Their configurations vary according to orientation and position, yet all maintain a relationship with the exterior. The spaces remain protected from the strong sun and wind while opening towards views of the sea, Mykonos harbour, Delos and Rhenia.

Behind the white Cycladic exterior, the interiors shift towards a warmer and more tactile palette. Timber and stone are combined with earth-toned cement-based finishes that extend continuously across walls and other interior surfaces.

The repetition of these materials creates visual continuity between rooms and communal areas despite their varied spatial configurations.

 

Stone, timber and continuous surfaces

Material choices reinforce the relationship between the architecture and the rocky landscape.

Existing and newly introduced stone surfaces retain a direct, textured character, while timber provides a warmer counterpoint. A continuous cement-based finish in muted earth tones brings together walls and built-in elements, reducing visual fragmentation within the interior.

Rather than relying on decorative references to Cycladic architecture, the design establishes its identity through mass, texture, shade and a limited range of materials.

This quieter interior language contrasts with the bright white exterior envelope and strengthens the perception of the guestrooms and shared spaces as protected environments within the larger complex.

 

Rocabella Villa

Alongside the redesign of the existing guestrooms, the project introduces Rocabella Villa, a separate residence with a private swimming pool.

The villa remains connected to the communal facilities of the hotel while maintaining a greater degree of privacy and independence. Its inclusion expands the range of accommodation without detaching it from the architectural language of the rest of the complex.

The relationship between shared amenities and private retreat reflects the broader spatial strategy of Rocabella, where the degree of exposure, enclosure and interaction changes gradually across the site.

 

Planting as part of the redesign

The landscape intervention plays an important role in the overall transformation.

New planted roofs and additional landscaped areas are introduced around the hotel, while previously unused parts of the site are planted with native cacti. The vegetation reduces the visual presence of the built surfaces and reintroduces planted areas within the densely developed complex.

Planting is therefore treated as part of the architectural reorganization rather than simply as an ornamental layer.

Together with the white volumes, stone surfaces and fragmented circulation, it helps establish a closer visual relationship between the hotel and the dry Cycladic landscape.

 

A unified identity

The central objective of the redesign is the aesthetic unification of a complex that had undergone successive alterations since its original development.

Rather than treating each room, communal area or outdoor space as an independent intervention, the project introduces a common spatial and material vocabulary across the hotel.

The network of sheltered paths, cave-like interiors, planted areas and earth-toned materials also responds to the climatic conditions of Mykonos, creating areas protected from sun and wind while retaining visual contact with the surrounding landscape.

The result is a hospitality environment organized around a gradual alternation between enclosure and openness, communal activity and privacy, built surfaces and vegetation.

 

The project was first published in print in ek299 | July–August 2025, in the INTERIORS section. 

Walnut, natural stone and aged oak define the renovation of a 141m² duplex beneath the rooftops of Paris, where a sculptural spiral stair and reflective surfaces distribute natural light across the two levels.

Stairway to Heaven in Paris by Véronique Cotrel is a 141m² duplex apartment on the top floor of a 17th-century mansion in the Marais district. The interior was completely reconfigured, with the removal of the existing partitions and the reorganization of the main floor, while two additional bedrooms were incorporated into the mezzanine level.

A master suite and an open kitchen complete the new programme. Throughout the apartment, walnut and stone establish a continuous material language, introducing warmth and texture within the open, light-filled interior.

 

 

Reorganizing the duplex

The renovation begins with the complete restructuring of the existing plan.

The principal floor is opened up, while the upper level accommodates two additional bedrooms. The new organization makes use of the apartment’s position beneath the pitched roof, treating the two levels as interconnected parts of a single interior rather than as separate floors.

The open kitchen becomes part of the main living area, while the master suite is incorporated into the reorganized lower level. Rather than relying on a large variety of finishes, the design establishes continuity through the repetition and contrast of a limited number of materials.

 

Walnut and stone

Walnut runs throughout the apartment as one of its principal materials.

Its dark, warm surface contrasts with the mineral character of the stone, allowing each material to become more clearly perceptible. The combination establishes a restrained palette with references to the interiors of the 1970s, without reproducing the period literally.

The relationship between timber and stone also creates continuity between the different functions of the apartment. Rather than defining each room through an independent material treatment, the same palette reappears across living areas, kitchen and private spaces.

A spiral stair at the centre

A white spiral stair becomes a central element within the main living space.

The stair connects the principal floor with the mezzanine, while its base is finished in Serpeggiante Grey marble. The stone gives visual weight to the lower section, while the light-coloured spiral rises more discreetly through the space.

Its sculptural geometry introduces a curved element within an interior otherwise characterized by the linear surfaces of walnut panelling, flooring and furniture.

Positioned within the social area, the stair is not treated solely as circulation. It participates directly in the composition of the living room and reinforces the visual relationship between the two levels.

 

Reflecting natural light

Improving the distribution of natural light was another central aspect of the renovation.

The apartment sits directly beneath the roof and receives daylight through windows projecting from the pitched surface. Their lateral reveals are clad with mirrors, reflecting light deeper into the interior while visually extending the space.

The mirrored surfaces also introduce fragments of the exterior vegetation into the interior through reflection, expanding the visual field around the windows.

This approach uses existing architectural conditions as part of the lighting strategy rather than relying exclusively on additional artificial illumination.

 

Privacy on the mezzanine

Natural light is also extended towards the bedrooms positioned on the mezzanine.

To allow daylight to pass between the different volumes without compromising privacy, the separating elements incorporate fluted-glass skylights. Their translucent surfaces filter light while limiting direct views between the rooms.

The treatment gives the upper level a degree of visual permeability while maintaining the separation required by the bedrooms.

Glass therefore acts as an intermediate material between transparency and enclosure, complementing the heavier surfaces of walnut and stone elsewhere in the apartment.

 

Aged oak underfoot

The floor is finished with aged light-oak parquet composed of long, narrow strips.

The lighter timber provides a counterpoint to the darker walnut surfaces and reinforces the overall brightness of the apartment. Its linear pattern also establishes continuity across the open plan and provides a common background for furniture and built-in elements.

Together, walnut, stone, glass and oak establish the material identity of the residence. Their contrasts remain controlled, allowing daylight and the changing conditions beneath the Parisian roofscape to become an active part of the interior.

 

The project was first published in print in Apartments 2024, the annual international edition of ek Architectural Publications.

A typical Athenian apartment in Pangrati is reorganized around natural light and spatial continuity, combining an open living area with restored herringbone parquet and a continuous timber volume that conceals secondary functions.

The Apartment in Pangrati by Narration Architects reinterprets the conventional layout of an Athenian residence through a series of targeted interventions. Unnecessary partitions and a dark internal corridor are removed, allowing natural light to penetrate deeper into the apartment and creating a more continuous relationship between the main living spaces.

Rather than replacing the original character of the interior, the renovation combines new spatial elements with existing materials. The restored herringbone timber floor extends through the unified areas, while integrated furniture and timber cladding organize storage, circulation and secondary functions within a restrained material palette.

 

An open-plan living area

The reorganization of the plan focuses on removing the fragmentation of the existing apartment.

The former corridor and unnecessary partitions give way to an open sequence of spaces where kitchen, dining and living areas remain visually connected. Natural light can consequently move more freely through the interior, while circulation becomes part of the main living space rather than a separate zone.

The intervention establishes a clearer hierarchy between the principal domestic functions without relying on additional walls. Furniture, material transitions and built-in elements instead provide more subtle forms of spatial definition.

 

The kitchen as a social core

The kitchen becomes the centre of the new organization.

Positioned in direct relation to the living room, it is designed as an active social space rather than a separate functional area. A central island accommodates dining and gathering, responding to the owners’ request for an open setting for everyday meals and entertaining.

Its central position reinforces the continuity of the plan and allows activities traditionally distributed among different rooms to coexist within the same open environment.

The kitchen consequently operates as both a working surface and a point of social interaction, connecting the different areas of the apartment.

 

A timber volume conceals secondary functions

One of the principal interventions is the integration of the bathroom behind continuous timber cladding.

A concealed door provides access to the bathroom, allowing its entrance and associated utility functions to disappear within a clean wooden volume. The element introduces a warmer material presence while reducing visual fragmentation in the main living space.

Rather than treating storage and secondary rooms as independent components, the design incorporates them within a single architectural surface.

The timber volume therefore operates simultaneously as enclosure, storage and spatial organizer, establishing a quieter background for the more open parts of the residence.

 

Restoring the original herringbone floor

The existing herringbone timber flooring forms an important connection with the apartment’s previous configuration.

Instead of being replaced, it is restored and extended across the newly unified spaces. The continuity of the parquet helps connect areas that were previously separated by walls and circulation zones, while maintaining a material reference to the original apartment.

The intervention uses the existing floor as an active part of the new spatial organization rather than simply preserving it as a historical detail.

Its texture and warm tone also provide a counterpoint to the cleaner surfaces and integrated elements introduced by the renovation.

 

 

Low elements and visual continuity

In the living room, horizontal lines and low furniture preserve long views across the apartment and reinforce the sense of openness.

The same principle is transferred to the bedroom, where a low ledge runs behind the bed and is completed by a slim timber shelf. Integrated niches replace conventional bedside tables, incorporating everyday functions directly into the architectural composition.

The use of low elements reduces visual obstruction and allows the proportions of the existing rooms to remain clearly perceived.

Natural materials, neutral tones and controlled lighting complete the interior, with new interventions remaining deliberately restrained in relation to the existing apartment.

 

Continuity rather than fragmentation

The renovation is ultimately based on reducing the number of independent spatial elements.

Walls are removed where separation is no longer necessary, while storage, access to secondary spaces and furniture are consolidated into continuous architectural components.

Narration Architects use the restored parquet, timber cladding and open relationship between kitchen and living room to establish a more connected domestic environment without erasing the apartment’s existing character.

The result is a contemporary urban interior shaped by natural light, material continuity and a clearer relationship between circulation and everyday living.

Corporate orange, exposed building services and warmer timber surfaces define the 600m² headquarters of technology company M-STAT in Athens, combining the visual language of technical infrastructure with more informal modes of working.

The M-Stat Headquarters in Athens by Minos Digenis Arquitectos transforms a 600m² open floor into the offices of a technology company active in mobile communication services. Two ideas establish the identity of the interior: the use of M-STAT’s corporate orange as a recurring visual element and the decision to leave the building services exposed as a reference to the technological character of the company.

Rather than concealing the technical infrastructure above a conventional suspended ceiling, cables, ducts and pipes become part of the architectural composition. Their orange finish extends the company’s visual identity through the workspace and turns an otherwise functional layer into one of the most recognizable elements of the project.

 

Technical infrastructure as interior architecture

The exposed services run beneath a lowered ceiling line at approximately 2.50m, creating a dense horizontal layer above the working areas.

Painting this network orange brings together the project’s two principal concepts: corporate identity and the visible presence of technology. The ceiling consequently operates less as a neutral background and more as an active component of the interior.

Against this technical layer, the remaining surfaces are deliberately quieter. The contrast makes the infrastructure legible while giving the workplace a consistent visual identity across its different functions.

 

Different settings for everyday work

The programme combines workstations and meeting rooms with areas organized according to different levels and forms of activity.

Rather than interpreting the headquarters solely as a collection of conventional desks and enclosed meeting rooms, the layout incorporates informal meeting points and spaces for breaks and social interaction.

A recreation area with a ping-pong table introduces a more relaxed use, while an open kitchen provides a shared setting where employees can meet during breakfast or lunch.

These programmes extend everyday working life beyond the individual workstation and establish a range of spaces for concentrated work, meetings and informal exchange.

 

A warmer workplace

Alongside the more technical expression of the exposed installations, the project introduces materials and elements associated with a warmer, more domestic environment.

Timber plays an important role in moderating the industrial character of the ceiling infrastructure. Its natural surface provides a tactile counterpoint to the exposed technical elements and the strong orange colour.

Planting introduces another layer within the workplace. Rather than functioning simply as decoration, greenery contributes to the definition of shared areas and reinforces the intention to create an environment less closely associated with the conventional corporate office.

The result combines two deliberately different registers: an exposed technological infrastructure overhead and a more informal, tactile environment at the level of everyday occupation.

 

Corporate identity beyond graphics

Colour is used as an architectural device rather than as an applied graphic layer.

By extending M-STAT’s orange across the visible cables, pipes and ducts, the design connects the company’s identity with the actual technical systems that support the workplace. Branding and infrastructure therefore occupy the same physical layer.

The strategy gives the headquarters a recognizable character without depending on an accumulation of signs or decorative references to the company.

Minos Digenis Arquitectos use the existing open floor, exposed services, timber and shared social areas to establish a workplace where technological identity and everyday comfort coexist within the same interior.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 290 | September 2024, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

Terrazzo, timber, steel and glass establish a restrained material language in a 350m² penthouse in Tel Aviv, where changing natural light becomes an active element of the interior.

The Penthouse in Tel Aviv by Pitsou Kedem Architects occupies the top of a residential tower in the centre of the city, along a street connecting a busy market with the sea. The 350m² interior is organized around a deliberately limited palette of terrazzo, timber, steel and glass, whose different surfaces respond to the changing natural light throughout the day.

Rather than relying on a broad range of finishes, the project establishes continuity through repetition. The same materials return across floors, walls, furniture and circulation elements, giving the apartment a coherent identity while allowing variations in texture, reflection and shadow to distinguish individual areas.

 

Terrazzo as a continuous surface

Light terrazzo becomes the principal material of the apartment.

Composed of white concrete with grey stone fragments, the material refers to a familiar element of Tel Aviv’s domestic architecture, where terrazzo was widely used during the modernist period of the 1950s.

In the penthouse, it extends across the flooring and continues vertically onto the principal walls surrounding the structural core of the tower. This repetition gives the central part of the apartment a monolithic quality while establishing continuity between horizontal and vertical surfaces.

Its pale tone reflects natural light, while the grey fragments become more or less visible according to the changing conditions throughout the day. The material therefore provides a relatively neutral background without becoming visually uniform.

Timber as a warmer counterpoint

Against the mineral character of the terrazzo, timber veneer introduces a warmer layer.

Its natural tones create contrast with the pale floor and wall surfaces, while changes in daylight emphasize the depth and grain of the material. Rather than introducing a separate decorative language, timber operates within the same restrained palette and moderates the cooler character of the stone, steel and glass.

The relationship between the two materials is based on contrast rather than similarity: terrazzo provides visual continuity and brightness, while timber introduces texture and warmth.

 

A steel library within the central space

A custom-made white steel library becomes one of the principal elements within the main living area.

Designed with thin profiles and a restrained geometry, it operates simultaneously as storage, architectural partition and technical enclosure. Its rear surface is clad in terrazzo, reinforcing its connection with the material treatment of the central core.

The library also conceals the air-conditioning unit, integrating part of the technical equipment into the furniture rather than allowing it to interrupt the visual continuity of the interior.

White-painted steel gives the element a lighter presence against the denser terrazzo surfaces, while its sharp edges generate changing shadows as daylight moves through the apartment.

A white steel stair towards the roof

The white steel stair leading to the rooftop terrace is another defining element of the penthouse.

Positioned beneath a skylight and next to a glass wall, it is exposed to changing natural light throughout the day. Metal strips filter the light and cast alternating shadows across the stair and surrounding surfaces.

The stair is therefore both a circulation element and a device for registering time. Its white finish connects it visually with the steel library, while the combination of steel and glass distinguishes it from the more solid terrazzo core.

 

Carrara marble in the bathrooms

In the bathrooms, Carrara marble replaces the terrazzo while maintaining the grey-and-white palette that defines the rest of the apartment.

The shift in material differentiates these more private spaces without introducing an unrelated visual language. The veining and softer surface of the marble add variation while remaining compatible with the overall restrained treatment.

Across the apartment, the material selection is therefore less about creating individual decorative moments and more about establishing controlled variations within a consistent system.

Material and light as a unified language

The interior is ultimately defined by the repeated relationship between terrazzo, timber, steel and glass.

The terrazzo establishes continuity across the central surfaces, timber introduces warmth, white steel defines furniture and circulation elements, and glass allows natural light to penetrate deeper into the space.

Pitsou Kedem Architects use this limited palette to give the apartment a coherent architectural identity while allowing light and shadow to continually alter its appearance.

 

The project was first published in print in Apartments 2025, an annual edition by ek Architectural Publications.

A white architectural shell, mint-green volumes and suspended oak elements reorganize a duplex apartment in Koukaki around light, colour and a restrained Mediterranean material palette.

Casa Menta in Athens by Space is around us is the renovation of a duplex apartment in Koukaki, conceived around the light, colours and material character of the Mediterranean landscape.

The intervention transforms a conventional interior dating from the 2000s into a clearer and more restrained domestic environment. Rather than introducing complexity through multiple materials or decorative gestures, the design reduces the interior to a continuous white architectural backdrop against which colour, furniture and everyday functions are carefully positioned.

 

Shared and private areas across two levels

The functional organization follows the existing division of the duplex.

The entrance level accommodates the shared living spaces, while the upper floor contains the private rooms. On the lower level, the previously undivided open-plan area is reorganized into three distinct but visually connected zones: kitchen, dining area and living room.

This differentiation is achieved without fragmenting the interior with additional partitions. Instead, furniture, colour and fixed elements define the individual functions while preserving visual continuity across the floor.

The arrangement allows the principal living spaces to remain open and flexible, while the upper level develops a more private domestic character.

 

A white shell as a neutral background

White surfaces establish the principal architectural language of the apartment.

Inspired by the whitewashed surfaces of Mediterranean architecture, the walls and ceilings form a continuous backdrop that reflects natural light and reinforces the sense of openness across both levels.

The intention is not to recreate a literal Mediterranean interior. Instead, the white shell creates a neutral field against which colour, texture and domestic functions can acquire greater definition.

The restrained treatment also reduces the visual weight of the existing apartment, allowing selected objects and built-in elements to become more prominent.

 

Existing materials retained and updated

Part of the intervention focuses on adapting rather than replacing the materials already present in the apartment.

The cement screed covering the communal spaces and the stair was updated with a continuous light-grey finish, establishing a neutral ground across the shared areas.

By contrast, the original timber parquet in the bedrooms was carefully restored. Its warmer material character differentiates the private spaces from the more mineral surfaces of the lower level.

This relationship between continuity and contrast allows the existing fabric to remain part of the new interior without dictating its overall character.

 

Floating volumes and integrated furniture

A series of lightweight elements introduces both function and colour within the white shell.

The mint-green kitchen becomes one of the most prominent volumes on the entrance level. Suspended oak furniture reinforces the impression of lightness, while storage and fixed elements are integrated into the architecture rather than treated as independent objects.

The white stair is conceived as a sculptural element within the duplex. Its continuous form contributes to the visual connection between the two levels while maintaining the restrained material language of the apartment.

Together, these elements organize everyday activities without overloading the interior.

 

Mint green as a recurring accent

Colour plays a central role in the identity of Casa Menta.

The palette draws on seafoam, olive trees, sun-bleached stone and pastel tones associated with Mediterranean landscapes. Within the predominantly white and light-grey interior, mint green becomes a recurring element that links different parts of the apartment.

The colour appears most clearly in the kitchen and returns in selected details throughout the residence.

Deeper green tones are concentrated in the bathroom, where the shower area becomes a more monolithic and visually intense element. The contrast introduces variation without disrupting the broader sense of continuity.

 

Lightness in everyday use

Storage, circulation and furniture are incorporated as part of the architectural composition.

Rather than filling the rooms with freestanding elements, the project integrates many everyday functions into suspended or visually lightweight volumes. This keeps the principal spaces open and allows movement between the different zones to remain unobstructed.

The result is an interior where the architectural shell remains deliberately quiet. White surfaces, restored timber, light-grey flooring and green accents form a limited palette, while natural light becomes one of the principal elements defining the changing atmosphere of the apartment.

Casa Menta ultimately combines functional reorganization with a reduced material language. Through colour, suspended elements and the selective retention of existing materials, Space is around us establishes a contemporary domestic environment shaped by clarity, light and a measured reference to the Mediterranean landscape.

Original plasterwork, five-metre-high ceilings and a century-old timber staircase provide the framework for the renovation of a 1920s apartment in Kypseli, where new materials, bespoke elements and contemporary technology coexist with the building’s eclectic character.

The Upper House in Athens by A&O Architects and Saint of Athens occupies the first floor of a 1920s building in Kypseli. The 220m² apartment retains characteristics of the eclectic domestic architecture that shaped parts of Athens during the early decades of the 20th century, including ceilings reaching five metres in height, intricate plaster decoration and an unusually generous spatial organization.

Originally built for the family of a Greek industrialist, the residence was reorganized for contemporary use without suppressing these existing qualities. The renovation preserves significant architectural elements while introducing new functions, furniture, finishes and technical systems.

 

 

Preserving the original spatial character

The existing plan provided a sequence of large rooms connected through generous openings, allowing circulation to move easily across the apartment.

Rather than replacing this organization with a radically different layout, the intervention works with the proportions and relationships already present. Two former reception rooms continue to function as living spaces, while a new dining room, principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom, guest bedroom and powder room are incorporated into the domestic programme.

A library, kitchen and pantry complete the arrangement. The functions are distinct, but the existing circulation allows them to remain connected as part of a continuous residential sequence.

At the centre of this relationship between old and new stands the original timber staircase. Carefully preserved, it remains one of the most recognizable elements of the apartment and makes the age of the building immediately legible.

 

Existing ornament as part of the new interior

The original plasterwork is treated as an active architectural layer rather than a decorative remnant.

Ceiling mouldings and ornamental details are retained against a restrained palette, allowing their relief and scale to remain visible. The height of the rooms reinforces their presence and gives the newly introduced furniture and lighting a different scale from that of a conventional contemporary apartment.

The intervention therefore does not attempt to neutralize the eclectic character of the residence. Instead, contemporary additions are inserted within the existing setting, producing deliberate contrasts between historic ornament, modern furniture and new material surfaces.

 

 

Bespoke elements and individual rooms

Custom-made elements play an important role throughout the apartment. A specially designed wardrobe, wall panelling and Japanese wallpaper introduce distinct identities to individual rooms without disconnecting them from the overall composition.

The new elements operate at different scales. Some become part of the architectural surfaces, while others appear as individual pieces of furniture or joinery.

Designer furniture, lighting, contemporary ceiling fans, artworks and objects collected by the occupants are combined with the existing architecture. Their arrangement gives each room a distinct character while preserving the sense that the apartment has accumulated different layers over time.

Rather than pursuing uniformity, the project allows variations in colour, material and furnishing from one room to another.

 

Timber flooring and Greek marble

The material palette connects the different areas while maintaining the contrast between the restored shell and the contemporary intervention.

Chevron timber flooring extends through the principal rooms and establishes a continuous geometric background. Greek marble is introduced alongside it in selected surfaces, particularly in the bathrooms and other areas where a more mineral finish is required.

Timber also appears in the original staircase and in new custom-made elements, allowing historic and contemporary components to share a common material reference without being visually identical.

The combination of timber, marble, painted surfaces, wallpaper and existing plaster decoration creates an interior defined by different textures rather than by a single uniform finish.

 

 

Contemporary systems within a historic apartment

The renovation also incorporates current domestic technology into the historic shell.

Internet of Things systems and contemporary heating and cooling equipment improve the everyday operation of the apartment while remaining visually secondary to the architectural character of the rooms. The technical upgrade is therefore integrated without turning the residence into an overtly technological environment.

This relationship between infrastructure and preservation is central to the project. Contemporary comfort is introduced within an existing spatial framework rather than used as a reason to erase it.

 

A contemporary layer within a 1920s interior

The Upper House is ultimately organized around the coexistence of different periods.

The original proportions, staircase and plaster decoration preserve the architectural identity of the 1920s residence. New joinery, wallpaper, furniture, lighting and technical systems introduce another layer corresponding to present-day domestic life.

A&O Architects and Saint of Athens therefore approach the renovation not as a reconstruction of a historical interior, but as an addition to its ongoing history. The existing building remains clearly visible while contemporary interventions establish a new domestic environment around it.

 

The project was first published in print in Apartments 2025, an annual edition by ek Architectural Publications.

Curved surfaces, flexible seminar rooms and exposed building systems define an additional floor of Baseblue’s Piraeus headquarters, designed for corporate events, meetings and staff training.

The Baseblue offices in Piraeus by R.C.TECH occupy an additional floor within the shipping company’s existing headquarters. Completed in 2023, the intervention creates a dedicated environment for corporate events, training seminars, meetings and informal interaction.

The interior draws on the spatial atmosphere of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Rather than translating this reference through literal imagery, the design develops it through continuous surfaces, contrasting colours and curved elements that organize circulation and give the space a sense of visual lightness.

 

 

A central zone defined by ceiling and floor

The main area is organized beneath a glossy white suspended ceiling. Its geometry is reflected in a corresponding change in the tone of the floor, defining a central zone without the need for additional partitions.

At the entrance, a large white table performs a dual role as reception desk and shared work surface. A curved blue metal wall follows its geometry, creating a visual boundary between the breakout area and the seminar facilities.

At the opposite end, two curved sofas form a circular lounge. The arrangement introduces a more informal setting for conversation while repeating the curved geometry that characterizes the entrance.

 

Flexible spaces for training

Flexibility becomes particularly important in the seminar area. Movable folding panels allow it to operate as two independent rooms or as one larger space, adapting the floor to different numbers of participants and types of events.

The furniture follows the same principle. Tables can be rearranged according to the requirements of each seminar, allowing configurations for teaching, presentations or collaborative work.

Acoustic performance is addressed through a perforated gypsum-board ceiling and specifically designed timber cladding. These elements form part of the architectural language rather than being introduced as independent technical additions.

 

 

Oak and exposed structure

The meeting room introduces a different material character. One wall is clad in oak, while the existing Zoellner slab remains exposed overhead.

This relationship between finished and unfinished surfaces continues throughout the project. Selected mechanical and electrical services are deliberately left visible, making the technical infrastructure of the office part of the interior.

The decision avoids concealing the existing construction behind a uniform suspended ceiling. Instead, the original structural system and new interventions remain visually distinct.

 

An architecture of elongated surfaces

Horizontal and vertical elements are deliberately extended beyond the scale of conventional furniture or partitions. The long white ceiling, curved metal wall, work surfaces and timber cladding are perceived as continuous architectural planes.

Their proportions, together with the exposed services and structural ceiling, reduce the sense of a conventionally enclosed office. Solid elements appear to detach from one another, reinforcing the impression of a lightweight interior.

The contrast between blue metal, white surfaces, natural oak and the existing structure provides a limited material palette through which the different functions remain clearly identifiable.

 

 

A workplace beyond individual desks

The project reflects a workplace programme centered not only on individual production but also on learning, exchange and collective activity.

Seminar rooms, meeting areas, shared work surfaces and informal seating coexist within the same floor, while movable elements allow the balance between them to change according to use.

Baseblue therefore operates as a flexible extension of the company’s headquarters. The intervention uses a small number of architectural devices—curved surfaces, colour, exposed structure and movable partitions—to create distinct working conditions without fragmenting the interior.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 290 | September 2024, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

Original mosaic floors and decorated ceilings become the starting point for the renovation of a 200m² apartment in Barcelona, where colour, custom joinery and a new spatial organization connect its historic character with contemporary domestic life.

The Apartment in Paseo San Juan by YLAB Architects occupies a 19th-century residence in central Barcelona. Previously in a deteriorated condition, the 200m² apartment was redesigned for an Australian couple seeking a permanent European home that could also comfortably accommodate visiting family and friends.

The intervention balances contemporary requirements with the preservation of the apartment’s existing architectural character. Its intricate mosaic flooring and original decorated ceilings are retained as defining elements, while the plan, joinery, finishes and technical systems are reorganized around a new domestic programme.

 

 

Two distinct areas within the apartment

The revised plan divides the residence into two main zones separated by the entrance hall.

The larger side contains the shared living spaces and guest accommodation, allowing everyday activities and hospitality to unfold within a more open sequence of rooms. The smaller side operates as a private suite, creating a more secluded area for the owners.

The arrangement establishes a clear distinction between collective and private life without fragmenting the apartment into a series of isolated spaces. The entrance becomes a point of transition, allowing each part of the residence to function with a degree of independence.

This organization responds directly to the clients’ dual requirement: a comfortable primary home and, at the same time, a place capable of receiving family and friends for extended periods.

 

Existing mosaic as the basis for colour

The original mosaic flooring provides the central reference for the interior palette.

Its colours and patterns change from room to room, creating a sequence of distinct surfaces that already formed part of the apartment’s architectural identity. Rather than neutralizing this variety, YLAB Architects use it to guide the selection of new finishes.

Walls are painted in complementary, softer tones that respond to the existing floors without competing with them. Colour therefore becomes a means of connecting the new intervention with the historic material fabric.

A continuous dark-brown finish runs through the apartment along skirting boards, frames and joinery. This darker line provides visual continuity between rooms and emphasizes thresholds and transitions within the otherwise varied sequence of colours and patterns.

 

 

Light within the deeper rooms

The existing plan includes more compact interior spaces where access to natural light is limited.

Strategically positioned artificial lighting and reflective surfaces are used to increase their perceived depth and brightness. Rather than radically changing the historic arrangement, these interventions improve the spatial conditions through smaller adjustments to surfaces and illumination.

The original windows were also replaced by contemporary high-performance units to improve acoustic and thermal insulation.

This technical upgrade is integrated discreetly into the renovation, supporting contemporary standards of comfort without becoming visually dominant within the historic interior.

 

Custom joinery within the existing architecture

Specially designed joinery extends throughout the residence and introduces a new functional layer within the retained architectural framework.

The custom elements respond to the colours already present in the apartment and are designed to sit alongside the original ceilings, floors and openings rather than visually compete with them.

Bespoke furniture follows the same approach. Instead of establishing a uniform contemporary language across every room, individual pieces respond to the atmosphere and colour of each space while maintaining coherence across the residence.

The renovation therefore develops through addition and coordination rather than through the complete replacement of the existing interior.

 

 

Shared living and dining spaces

The principal living area is organized as an open sequence connecting the sitting room, kitchen and dining area.

A streamlined kitchen island defines the cooking area without isolating it from the rest of the social space. Nearby, two facing sofas are arranged around a circular wool rug, establishing a more clearly defined sitting area within the open plan.

The adjoining dining room opens onto a balcony whose mosaic floor continues the material language of the apartment. This relationship reinforces the connection between the interior rooms and the external space while maintaining the visual presence of the historic flooring.

The social area is therefore organized through furniture, surfaces and colour rather than through additional partitions.

 

A more private domestic sequence

On the opposite side of the entrance, the private suite develops a more intimate character.

The bed is defined by a large upholstered headboard with concealed backlighting, introducing softer illumination into the room. Nearby, a reading corner combines an armchair with a marble side table.

The smaller scale and more controlled lighting distinguish the private rooms from the brighter social areas without abandoning the overall material and chromatic language of the apartment.

The distinction between the two parts of the residence is therefore achieved through programme, light and atmosphere rather than through an entirely different architectural vocabulary.

 

 

History as an active part of the interior

The Apartment in Paseo San Juan does not treat the existing mosaic floors and ceilings as isolated heritage objects. They actively inform the organization and appearance of the new interior.

Colours are drawn from the original surfaces, new joinery follows their visual rhythm, and contemporary lighting and reflective materials respond to the conditions created by the existing plan.

Through this approach, YLAB Architects establish a balance between preservation and adaptation. The historic apartment remains recognizable, while its spaces are reorganized to support contemporary everyday life, privacy and hospitality.

 

The project was first published in print in Apartments 2025, an annual edition by ek Architectural Publications.

A large-scale checkered floor extends across the social areas of a 200m² apartment, becoming both a graphic element and an organizing grid for family life, bespoke joinery and collected objects.

Brooklin Apartment in São Paulo by Küster Brizola Arquitetos reinterprets the traditional checkered floor as the defining element of a contemporary family interior.

Designed for a couple with two children, the 200m² residence was conceived around everyday family life, entertaining and the gradual accumulation of memories. Rather than using the checkered pattern as an isolated decorative gesture, the architects extend it through almost the entire social area, allowing its geometry to organize the relationship among the living room, playroom, game room, dining areas and kitchen.

 

A checkered grid across the social spaces

The graphic flooring provides the apartment with its most recognizable identity. However, its role extends beyond visual impact.

Repeated at a large scale, the pattern begins to read almost as a continuous rug connecting the different areas. The dimensions of the grid align with bespoke cabinetry and stone countertops, introducing an underlying order across the plan.

This coordination allows furniture and fixed elements to respond to the same geometry. As a result, the floor becomes an architectural tool that reinforces continuity between functions instead of simply defining individual rooms.

Because of its strong visual presence, the flooring also influenced the wider material palette. Predominantly pale surfaces provide a quieter background, while blue accents introduce a cooler and more restrained atmosphere.

 

Timber as a continuous interior layer

American oak cabinetry appears throughout the apartment and creates a common material language between otherwise distinct spaces.

Its warm tone balances the graphic floor and lighter architectural surfaces. At the same time, the joinery incorporates ceramic objects produced in the family’s own pottery workshop.

These pieces introduce a personal history into the new interior. Rather than being displayed independently as decoration, they are integrated into the architecture of the storage and shelving, connecting the residents’ previous experiences with their new home.

 

 

Defining spaces without isolating them

Maintaining continuity across the social areas was another central concern. A multifunctional shelving unit organizes circulation while separating the playroom, game room and living room without creating complete visual barriers.

The playroom provides a particularly clear example. The developer had originally intended this area as a home office enclosed by a conventional wall.

Instead, the architects introduced a delicate metal-framed partition. The element gives the room the privacy required for children’s activities while preserving its visual relationship with the adjoining social spaces.

The strategy allows different programmes to coexist without fragmenting the apartment. Boundaries remain functional but visually permeable.

 

Collected objects and family memory

The interiors also accommodate furniture with an existing history rather than relying entirely on newly designed pieces.

In the game room, a century-old Italian pietra dura table sourced in Florence becomes one of the focal points. Its presence introduces another temporal layer into the otherwise contemporary environment.

Together with the ceramics made by the family, the table reinforces a recurring theme throughout the residence: new architecture provides a framework for objects carrying personal or material memory.

The apartment is therefore not conceived as an abstract composition detached from its occupants. Its identity emerges through the interaction of precise geometry, bespoke elements and pieces accumulated over time.

 

 

Kitchen and balcony as a shared centre

The integration of the gourmet balcony with the kitchen creates a large continuous area dedicated to cooking, dining and entertaining.

At its centre, an island in Paraná Cromos stone acts as the principal fixed element. Its bevelled edges are repeated in the everyday dining table, establishing a formal relationship between the two pieces.

Guache ceramic tiles by Portobello introduce green tones into the kitchen. Together with the American oak cabinetry, they expand the wider palette of blue, green and terracotta found across the residence.

The kitchen is therefore treated not as a separate service space, but as an active part of the social programme. Its connection with the balcony creates a generous setting where everyday domestic routines and larger family gatherings can overlap.

 

Geometry, comfort and identity

Throughout the apartment, geometric precision is balanced by tactile materials and objects associated with the residents’ own history.

The checkered floor establishes the grid. Timber cabinetry introduces warmth and continuity. Stone and ceramic surfaces bring variations of colour and texture, while permeable partitions preserve visual connections among the different functions.

The project ultimately transforms a familiar decorative pattern into a spatial device. By extending the checkered surface through the social areas and coordinating it with the architecture, Küster Brizola Arquitetos use geometry to structure circulation, strengthen relationships between spaces and provide a background for everyday family life.

Two independent summer apartments reinterpret the landscape and cultural memory of Serifos through distinct colour palettes, natural materials and bespoke elements inspired by the island.

Seriphos Estate is a complete redesign of a 1970s building near Agios Ioannis beach in Serifos. The project by Ioli Chiotini Studio contains two independent residences: Kelyphos on the upper level and Edaphos below.

Rather than reproducing Cycladic architecture literally, the interiors translate characteristic impressions of the island into colour, material and form. The line between sea and sky, the roughness of the dry landscape and, above all, the intensity of summer light become recurring points of reference throughout the two residences.

 

 

Two residences, two colour identities

Although the apartments belong to the same project, each develops a distinct atmosphere.

Earthy and reddish tones dominate Edaphos on the ground floor, connecting its palette with the dry terrain. Kelyphos above is defined by blue-green hues that recall the sea and the changing colours of the horizon.

The contrast gives each residence an individual identity while maintaining a common conceptual framework. Across both interiors, colour operates less as surface decoration than as a means of abstracting familiar images and sensations from the island.

The project thus approaches place through memory rather than imitation. Serifos is present in the interiors without being reduced to conventional white-and-blue references.

 

Translating Cycladic forms

Built-in seating with organic curves, niches protected beneath arches and timber ceiling battens reinterpret elements associated with the traditional architecture of Serifos.

These references are simplified and incorporated into a contemporary interior language. Curves soften transitions between different functions, while recessed areas create more protected settings for sitting and resting.

Natural materials reinforce this sense of familiarity. Woven cane appears on wardrobe fronts and linen is used around the beds, introducing tactile surfaces and warmth within the restrained interiors.

Two-tone white and blue curtains establish a more direct relationship with the view. Their horizontal transition echoes the division between sky and sea and brings the distant horizon into the rooms through colour and fabric.

 

 

Cultural references as bespoke objects

A series of custom-made elements introduces more specific references to the history and culture of Serifos.

The island’s quarries, apiaries and mythology are abstracted into mirrors, articulated pendant lights and marble surfaces incorporated into the kitchen furniture. These pieces do not function as literal replicas of local objects. Instead, they transform recognizable associations into contemporary forms and details.

The strategy adds another layer to the interiors: the landscape is expressed through the overall palette, while cultural memory appears at the smaller scale of furniture, lighting and bespoke objects.

 

Outdoor living beneath timber pergolas

Both levels extend into outdoor spaces sheltered by timber pergolas covered with natural reed.

Built-in seating and generous cushions continue the colour palette of the interiors, making the terraces feel like extensions of the rooms rather than separate external areas.

On the ground floor, the outdoor kitchen and large dining table form a principal gathering space with open views towards the island landscape. Here, the design shifts from the more intimate scale of the apartments to collective outdoor life.

The use of reed, timber, built-in furniture and textiles also maintains continuity between the material character of the interiors and the exposed summer spaces.

 

 

Personal memory within the new interiors

Alongside the references to the wider island, the design incorporates personal objects belonging to the owner.

These pieces preserve traces of the earlier life of the property and introduce a more individual layer within the redesigned apartments. Rather than treating the renovation as a complete break with the past, the project allows old memories and new interventions to coexist.

Seriphos Estate consequently operates at several scales of memory: the landscape and light of the Cyclades, the cultural history of Serifos, and the personal history attached to the existing property.

Through colour, natural materials and purpose-designed objects, Ioli Chiotini Studio transforms these references into two contemporary interiors with separate identities but a shared relationship with place.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 290 | September 2024, the monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

A series of light-touch interventions transforms a ground-floor apartment in Kolonaki into the architecture practice’s first permanent workplace, retaining the existing timber floors, glazed doors and arched entrance.

 

The Local Local workplace occupies a 77m² ground-floor apartment in Kolonaki, Athens. Designed by Local Local as the practice’s first permanent headquarters, the project adapts an existing residential interior through a series of non-structural interventions that preserve its previous architectural layers.

Before moving into the new office, the growing team had been working from founder Sofia Xanthakou’s own Plaka House. The new space provides a dedicated setting for collective work while translating the studio’s wider interest in context, material history and reuse into its everyday working environment.

 

Working with the existing apartment

As the property is leased, the intervention was deliberately restrained. Instead of substantially altering the existing plan, the design works with the qualities already present in the apartment.

The original timber floors were repaired and lightened to compensate for the limited direct sunlight reaching the ground-floor interior. White walls further increase luminosity, while the existing timber doors with rippled glazed panels were restored and finished in a slightly darker tone.

The arched entrance was also retained. Together, these elements preserve the domestic origins of the space rather than concealing them behind a conventional office fit-out.

The L-shaped plan is divided primarily between the main workspace and a meeting room with access from two sides. This simple organization allows the small office to accommodate different patterns of individual and collective work without introducing new permanent partitions.

 

Furniture as part of the workplace

A large solid-cypress table in the meeting room became the point of departure for the furniture designed specifically for the office.

Drawing on its material and proportions, Local Local developed a large communal worktable and two window-facing desks. Solid timber is combined with Formica to withstand the heavier daily use associated with the workplace.

The new elements coexist with chairs retrieved from storage rather than replaced with a complete new furniture set. This combination of bespoke pieces and existing objects gives the office an intentionally cumulative character.

The meeting room itself was formerly a bedroom. Its original wardrobe was retained, but its doors were removed and replaced with roll-up blinds. The simple alteration transforms the existing joinery into open storage for material samples and project documentation while keeping another layer of the apartment visible.

 

Books and collective design work

A Vitsœ shelving system occupies one of the main walls and holds Sofia Xanthakou’s architecture library, assembled over almost a decade of study and professional work.

Previously kept in storage, the books now form both a working resource and a visual backdrop to the studio. Their prominent position reflects the practice’s continued use of printed material as a tool for research and design.

Another wall is occupied by a long perforated-metal pinboard finished in pistachio green. Designed by Local Local, it allows drawings, references and work in progress to be displayed and reviewed collectively.

The element establishes an analogue counterpart to screen-based work. Projects can be pinned up, compared and discussed at a larger scale, turning the wall into an active part of the design process.

 

A more distinct entrance

The entrance was treated as an opportunity to give the workplace a clearer identity. The existing lobby had little natural light and lacked a distinct spatial character.

Local Local invited artist Theodore Psychoyos to create two site-specific marble pieces for this area: a sculptural console and a seat. Marble, already recurrent in the practice’s architectural work, introduces a denser material presence against the lighter background of timber floors and white walls.

The pieces are functional objects but also establish a more deliberate threshold between the street, the shared building and the studio.

Lighting contributes another precisely selected layer. Ceiling fixtures by Michael Anastassiades are used in the principal workspace, while a freestanding light by the same designer completes the meeting room.

 

An office designed to accumulate

The project does not pursue the image of a finished, immutable workplace. Existing architectural elements, restored furniture, new joinery, books, material samples and artworks are deliberately allowed to coexist.

This approach leaves space for the office to change as the practice develops. Objects and references can accumulate, work can occupy the walls, and individual areas can adapt to new routines without requiring substantial alterations to the apartment.

Through a limited number of interventions, the Local Local workplace demonstrates how an ordinary residential interior can acquire a new function while retaining its previous character. Rather than erasing the apartment, the design uses its existing features as the framework for a workplace shaped by collaboration, material research and gradual occupation.

Two concealed storage volumes organize the apartment into public and private zones, while visual axes derived from the building’s façade grid reinforce the transparency and architectural identity of the former Doxiadis headquarters.

 

Located in the One Athens residential complex in Kolonaki, the apartment occupies a building of distinctive typology and architectural significance that formerly housed the headquarters of architect and urban planner Konstantinos Doxiadis.

The renovation by Proplusma Architects approaches the interior with respect for this existing architectural identity. Instead of imposing an unrelated formal language, the design emphasizes the visual axes, transparency and structural elements already embedded in the building.

 

 

Two zones defined by concealed storage

Two continuous storage units run transversely across the floor plan and establish the principal organization of the residence.

The first zone contains the shared living spaces: sitting room, dining area and open-plan kitchen. The second accommodates the more private programme, including the children’s bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and the principal bedroom with its walk-in wardrobe and bathroom.

Rather than functioning simply as cupboards, the storage units operate as architectural boundaries. Their scale allows them to organize circulation, conceal secondary functions and separate the two parts of the apartment without introducing a conventional sequence of corridors and isolated rooms.

 

A grid derived from the existing façade

The design takes the geometric pattern of the building’s façades as a point of departure. Imaginary axes derived from this grid determine alignments both horizontally and vertically throughout the interior.

These lines coordinate openings, joinery, ceilings and fixed elements. As a result, individual interventions remain connected to a larger ordering system rather than appearing as independent objects.

The strategy also reinforces the relationship between the renovated apartment and the architecture of the original complex. The building’s exterior logic is translated into the organization of its interior, establishing visual continuity across the plan.

 

 

Exposed concrete and continuous timber flooring

In the living room, a recessed ceiling exposes the original concrete beams. Their rhythm remains visible as a recognizable element of the building’s construction and becomes one of the defining features of the shared space.

Concealed lighting around the recess emphasizes the depth and repetition of the beams without visually separating them from the broader composition.

A herringbone timber floor runs continuously through the apartment. Its warm material character contrasts with the exposed concrete and the predominantly monochromatic joinery, while its uninterrupted pattern reinforces spatial continuity.

At the centre of the living zone, the kitchen island becomes a focal point. Its substantial marble countertop establishes a material counterweight to the darker cabinetry behind it and connects the kitchen with the adjoining dining and sitting areas.

 

White and black storage surfaces

The two concealed storage bands are clad in timber finished in white and black lacquer. A regular grid of vertical grooves organizes the long surfaces and subtly marks the functions hidden behind them.

On the lighter side, the television and a bar adjacent to the dining area are integrated within the white cladding. When closed, the units become part of a continuous architectural surface rather than individual pieces of furniture.

On the opposite side, black lacquer gives the storage wall a denser character. A concealed door within the same surface provides access to the private part of the apartment, allowing the transition between the two zones to remain visually discreet.

 

 

Individual character within the private rooms

The more private areas introduce greater variation while remaining within the overall design system.

The children’s bedrooms respond to individual requirements, with bespoke elements and distinct colour palettes extending into their bathrooms. This allows each room to develop a recognizable character without disrupting the wider material coherence of the apartment.

In the principal bedroom, the composition places greater emphasis on depth and reflection. Mirrors, transparent wardrobe doors and concealed lighting create overlapping visual layers that expand the perception of the space.

The combination of transparency and reflection continues one of the central ideas of the residence. Boundaries remain legible, but they are repeatedly softened through visual connections and changing degrees of opacity.

Through a controlled palette of timber, marble, lacquered surfaces, glass and exposed concrete, the renovation establishes a contemporary domestic environment while retaining references to the original building. The design is defined less by added decoration than by alignment, concealment and the careful management of transparency.

 

The project was first published in print in Apartments 2025, an annual edition by ek Architectural Publications.

Bespoke joinery and movable partitions replace fixed rooms, allowing a compact 1970s apartment to shift between open-plan living, work and privacy.

 

Kifisia Apartment is located within the “Stroggyli Polykatoikia,” or Round Apartment Building, designed by architect Nikos Despotidis and constructed in 1973–1974. The renovation by Georgios Apostolopoulos Architects reconsiders the internal organization of the apartment while maintaining a clear relationship with the geometry of the original building.

Before the intervention, the plan was divided into a sequence of enclosed spaces. Two narrow corridors led towards the bedroom and kitchen, while the bathroom occupied the centre. As a result, the principal living areas were compressed into a narrow zone with limited access to natural light.

 

 

Removing the internal divisions

The renovation began with the removal of all internal partitions. This process revealed the underlying geometry of the apartment and created the conditions for a continuous interior.

Instead of replacing the former layout with another arrangement of enclosed rooms, the architects organized the different functions through bespoke joinery and movable partitions. These elements define areas for living, sleeping, working and storage without interrupting the overall continuity of the plan.

The apartment can therefore be perceived as a single space or divided into more private zones. Its organization changes according to the time of day and the needs of its occupants.

 

Flexible boundaries of privacy

Despite the limited floor area, the programme required two bedrooms alongside the other functions of a complete residence. This condition led the architects to reconsider privacy as a changing spatial relationship rather than a fixed boundary.

The principal bedroom operates as an extension of the living room. A sequence of wardrobes stands between the two areas, providing storage while acting as a series of visual filters.

The joinery limits direct views without creating the sense of a fully enclosed room. Consequently, the bedroom remains connected to the broader interior while retaining a measured degree of separation.

 

A room that appears when needed

On the opposite side of the plan, a second flexible area can function as a dining room, home office or additional bedroom.

A continuous system of bespoke joinery incorporates storage, a fold-down desk and a retractable bed. When these elements remain closed, the room almost disappears and becomes part of the open interior.

Sliding partitions can isolate the area when privacy is required. The apartment thus gains an autonomous second bedroom without permanently surrendering space to a function that may only be needed occasionally.

This approach allows the same area to accommodate several patterns of use. The room appears when required and recedes once its temporary function has ended.

 

The kitchen as a social centre

The new kitchen occupies the centre of the plan, replacing the former bathroom. Its main functions are organized around a large island connected directly with the living and dining areas.

The island faces the existing fireplace and becomes a shared point within the residence. Cooking, conversation and everyday activity can develop around the same central element.

Relocating the kitchen also transforms the circulation. Instead of being reached through a narrow corridor, it now forms part of the continuous living environment and establishes direct relationships with the surrounding uses.

 

A nearly monochromatic interior

The material palette remains restrained and almost monochromatic. Microcement extends across the floors, walls and doors, reducing visual interruptions between surfaces.

This continuous treatment reinforces the unity of the interior. At the same time, it allows the original construction, curved geometry and architectural logic of the apartment building to remain legible.

The subdued material background gives greater emphasis to the changing arrangement of doors, partitions and integrated furniture. Spatial transformation, rather than applied decoration, becomes the defining feature of the project.

Kifisia Apartment ultimately proposes a compact interior without permanently assigned rooms. Areas can open, close or change function, allowing spatial continuity and privacy to coexist within the same domestic environment.

The renovation opens a compartmentalized 1970s residence to daylight and transforms part of its interior into a generous semi-outdoor living space.

 

Heraklion Summer House is the renovation of a two-storey residence built during the 1970s in a suburb of Heraklion, Crete. Designed by iLi Studio, the intervention seeks to give the existing urban house a stronger vacation-home character by reorganizing its interior and reinforcing its relationship with outdoor life.

The project is conceived in two phases. The first, completed in 2025, concerns the renovation of the upper residential level. A later phase proposes the addition of a new volume on the roof terrace.

Opening the existing plan

Before the renovation, internal walls divided the residence into a sequence of separate spaces, including an entrance hall and an enclosed kitchen. This organization limited visual continuity and prevented natural light from reaching the full depth of the floor plan.

The intervention removes these partitions and combines the kitchen, dining room and living area within a continuous shared space. Instead of being distributed among separate rooms, the main domestic activities now unfold within an open plan.

The new organization improves circulation and establishes longer views through the interior. It also allows daylight to enter from different sides and move across the residence throughout the day.

 

A continuous living environment

The open-plan arrangement does not eliminate all spatial definition. The different uses remain legible through furniture, fixed elements and changes in orientation rather than through enclosing walls.

The kitchen forms part of the shared living environment, while the dining and sitting areas maintain direct visual contact with one another. Movement through the house consequently becomes more fluid, and the interior is perceived as a continuous sequence rather than a collection of individual rooms.

This reorganization uses the existing building as a framework for a different form of everyday life. The renovation does not depend on increasing the enclosed floor area. Instead, it redistributes the available space and gives greater importance to shared use, light and visual connection.

 

Giving up interior area for outdoor life

The project’s principal intervention is the creation of a new semi-outdoor space in front of the living room. The existing balcony was too narrow to function as a substantial extension of the house. iLi Studio therefore chose to reduce the enclosed interior and convert part of it into a deeper, more usable covered terrace.

Although the gesture decreases the internal floor area, it expands the range of ways in which the residence can be inhabited. The new space can accommodate everyday activities outdoors while remaining protected from direct exposure.

A large opening connects the living room with this covered area. When opened, it strengthens both the visual continuity and the functional relationship between the two zones. The living room and terrace can therefore operate independently or as a single extended environment.

 

From an urban house to a summer residence

The semi-outdoor space changes the balance of the residence. Outdoor life is no longer confined to a conventional balcony attached to the façade. Instead, the covered terrace becomes a principal room of the house and a threshold between interior and exterior.

This approach gives the existing suburban building a more pronounced seasonal character without treating it as a new construction. The holiday-home quality emerges from the organization of everyday activities around light, openness and outdoor occupation.

Through a limited number of targeted changes, Heraklion Summer House demonstrates how an existing residential shell can accommodate a different way of living. The removal of partitions brings daylight deeper into the plan, while the new semi-outdoor space establishes a more direct relationship with the Cretan climate.

The renovation preserves the vaulted structure of existing summer residences in Oia, introducing precise functional changes, natural materials and selected colour accents.

 

The refurbished summer residences form part of a larger complex in the traditional settlement of Oia. Facing south, they overlook the volcano and the Caldera. Their existing shells are characteristic of the island’s more recent architectural heritage.

The intervention by Kapsimalis Architects focuses on the interiors. It preserves the original structure and spatial identity while adapting the residences to contemporary hospitality requirements.

Each unit includes a living area, bedroom and bathroom. The interiors extend into private courtyards with small pools and views towards the Aegean landscape.

 

Preserving the vaulted interiors

The principal objective was to retain and emphasize the existing vaulted forms. Domes, cross vaults and shallow concave ceilings give each residence its distinct spatial character.

Rather than concealing these elements, the redesign treats them as the starting point of the interior composition. New furniture and functional additions follow the existing geometry without competing with it.

The interventions remain deliberately limited. Small changes to fixed and movable furniture improve circulation, storage and everyday use while preserving the original proportions of the rooms.

Arched openings reinforce the continuity between adjoining spaces. Their rounded profiles repeat the geometry of the ceilings and allow the residences to be perceived as a sequence of connected vaulted chambers.

A restrained material palette

Smooth white plaster covers the walls and ceilings. Its continuous surface emphasizes the plasticity of the architecture and allows daylight to reveal the changing curvature of the interior.

Large slabs of light-grey marble define the floors. Their subtle tonal variations introduce depth without disturbing the visual unity of the rooms.

Built-in timber elements are finished in pale oak. Different varieties of marble are used for fixed furniture and counters, while ceramic claustra in a natural terracotta tone filter views between selected areas.

Off-white textiles complete the quieter material background. Together, the plaster, marble, oak and fabrics establish continuity between the different residences without erasing their individual spatial qualities.

 

Reflections and selected colour

Mirrored sections are introduced on walls and timber constructions to increase the perceived depth of the smaller rooms. Reflections multiply the vaulted forms, daylight and partial views of adjoining spaces.

Glass elements further reduce the visual weight of partitions. In bathrooms, transparent screens preserve the continuity of the vaulted interiors while allowing the different functions to remain clearly organized.

Against the neutral background, movable furniture in deep red introduces a concentrated colour accent. Metal-and-glass lighting fixtures and darker timber pieces add further contrast without fragmenting the overall composition.

The colour is used selectively rather than as a continuous decorative theme. As a result, the red elements become distinct points of orientation within the predominantly white and grey interiors.

Courtyards overlooking the Caldera

The external façades are retained and subtly repaired. The courtyards are reorganized through new dining areas, built-in seating and planting.

These outdoor spaces operate as extensions of the compact residences. Small pools, shaded seating and framed views towards the Caldera support everyday outdoor use without altering the established architectural character of the complex.

The relationship between the white interiors and the blue horizon remains central to the experience. Windows and doorways frame the sea, while daylight moves across the curved surfaces throughout the day.

Through restrained alterations, the renovation brings contemporary comfort to the existing residences without replacing their spatial identity. The vaulted structures remain dominant, supported by natural materials, reflective surfaces and carefully selected elements.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 288 | June 2024, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

At Minos Palace Resort in Crete, spatial flow, controlled sensory transitions and a close relationship with nature shape an environment dedicated to personalised wellbeing.

 

 

Νao Longevity Hub is located at Minos Palace Resort in Agios Nikolaos, Crete. Designed by Stones & Walls, the project explores how interior design can contribute to a broader approach to wellbeing and longevity.

Movement through space, contact with the natural landscape, lighting, materiality and atmosphere are treated as interconnected elements. The interior does not simply provide a setting for treatments and assessments. Instead, it becomes an active part of the visitor’s gradual transition towards a calmer rhythm.

Flow as a spatial principle

The name Nao derives from the ancient Greek verb nao, meaning “to flow,” and recalls the principle of panta rhei: everything flows. This concept informs the organization of the interior and the continuous passage from one functional zone to another.

The visitor’s experience begins before arrival through a personalised assessment, which establishes the basis of the programme that follows. Once inside Nao, the succession of spaces, the relationship with the landscape and the gradual reduction of sensory stimuli create a process of decompression.

The entire programme is not revealed from a single point. Instead, it unfolds through an ordered sequence of thresholds. Variations in light, enclosure, texture and atmosphere mark the transition from one activity to the next.

Circulation therefore becomes more than a functional link between rooms. It forms part of the overall wellness experience and prepares visitors for a different perception of time.

 

Nature and sensory restraint

The design responds to the understanding that the physical environment can affect both mental and bodily states. Natural light, tactile surfaces and visual contact with the exterior contribute to a measured and progressively quieter spatial experience.

Rather than separating the different functions through abrupt boundaries, Stones & Walls establish continuity through a shared material and atmospheric language. Spaces for assessment, movement, treatment and relaxation maintain distinct identities while remaining part of the same route.

The natural landscape serves as more than a framed view. Its colours, rhythms and sense of openness inform the restrained character of the interior. In this way, the project introduces contact with nature without relying on literal decorative representations.

Five interconnected pillars

The spatial design operates alongside a personalised methodology structured around five principal pillars: Nutrition, Sleep, Movement, Self-Mastery, and Connection & Purpose.

Diagnostic tools and individual programmes establish a personal route for each visitor. The interior supports this process through spaces with different degrees of activity, privacy and sensory intensity.

More active or technologically supported functions are balanced by quieter environments dedicated to rest and contemplation. The transitions among them are designed to feel gradual, preserving the principle of continuous flow.

Architecture and methodology therefore have complementary roles. Assessment defines the individual programme, while the physical environment gives this programme a clear sequence and atmosphere.

 

A changing understanding of luxury

Nao reflects a broader shift in contemporary hospitality and wellness design. Luxury is no longer expressed only through material refinement or visual abundance. It is increasingly associated with time, privacy, personalised attention and the quality of the surrounding environment.

Within this context, the project brings together interior design, science and nature as parts of a single experience. The objective is not simply to create a visually controlled setting, but to establish an environment that supports a more balanced everyday rhythm.

The architectural contribution lies in translating the abstract concept of flow into a spatial experience. Arrival, evaluation, movement, treatment and rest become successive stages of a continuous route.

 

The project was first presented in print in ek magazine 302 | November 2025, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

Located in Patras, Dyo Exi Deka by KARN Studio transforms a 173 m² interior into an open and permeable space that mediates between the street and the activities within. Led by Nancy Karagianni, the design reinterprets the familiar typology of the neighbourhood store through transparency, spatial continuity and an emphasis on collective use.

Large openings, pivoting doors and low thresholds weaken the conventional boundary between inside and outside. Rather than functioning as an enclosed commercial interior, the space extends its activity towards the pavement, maintaining a continuous visual and physical relationship with the city.

 

 

An open interior without partitions

The interior is organized as a single flexible space. Instead of dividing the plan through walls, the existing structural columns articulate different areas while maintaining overall continuity.

A clear visual axis connects the entrance with the service counter, allowing the programme to unfold gradually and remain immediately legible. The generous ceiling height reinforces the sense of openness, while suspended linear lighting fixtures introduce rhythm and scale within the large volume.

The lighting system also contributes to the industrial character of the interior. Metal frames, visible installations and off-the-shelf elements are deliberately left exposed, establishing a direct relationship between construction, use and atmosphere.

Material zones within a continuous space

The material palette is deliberately restrained. Exposed brick gives the service counter a warmer and more tactile presence, contrasting with the continuous floor and the neutral surfaces of the surrounding envelope.

Near the façade, a zone of green-and-white tiles marks places for pausing and interaction. Rather than functioning as a physical boundary, the change in material subtly guides movement and distinguishes use within the otherwise continuous plan.

Different spatial conditions therefore emerge without compromising the openness of the interior. Materials, furniture and lighting become the principal tools of organization.

 

 

An interior connected to the city

Natural light enters through glazing along two sides of the space, maintaining visual contact with the surrounding streets. Planting softens the robust material character and introduces a more familiar, almost domestic scale.

The furniture arrangement remains adaptable, allowing the interior to respond both to everyday patterns of use and to larger collective gatherings. This flexibility reinforces the project’s understanding of the neighbourhood venue as a shared urban room rather than a fixed composition.

Dyo Exi Deka balances the directness of an industrial interior with moments of warmth and informality. Through its open edges and adaptable organization, the project positions everyday commercial activity within the broader life of the street.

Located in São Paulo, MAS House is the result of a complete remodeling by SUITE Arquitetos, conceived with spatial integration as its starting point and materiality as a structuring element.

The residence was reorganized around the family’s daily life, strengthening spatial continuity and the relationship between interior and exterior. Throughout the house, light, materials and furniture work together to create a calm and coherent living environment.

The Living Area as the Center of the House

At the center of the residence, the living area organizes the social program, bringing the sitting room, dining room, kitchen and outdoor space into the same spatial field.

Conceived as a versatile environment, it accommodates different forms of use, from everyday family life to quieter moments, always oriented toward the garden. Large openings expand the sense of space and make natural light an active component of the architecture, changing the atmosphere of the interiors throughout the day.

The outdoor area is therefore present from the main living spaces rather than treated as a separate part of the house. The garden becomes a constant visual reference and reinforces the continuity between domestic life and the surrounding landscape.

 

 

Material Continuity and Furniture

Materiality defines the identity of the project. Brushed Brazilian travertine establishes a continuous base across the social area, while cabinetry in dehydrated oak veneer extends through the interiors and reinforces the unity of the composition.

Woodstone quartzite, integrated into niches and the dining-room cabinetry, introduces texture and depth. Together with fabrics, smooth surfaces and carefully distributed lighting, the material palette creates a subtly golden atmosphere without visual excess.

Furniture operates as an extension of the architecture. In the living room, the side table and the lamp establish a balance between form and materiality.

The sofa was redesigned specifically for the project. Its straighter and more pronounced lines give it a central role in the composition and reinforce the project’s custom-designed character.

 

 

Private Rooms and the Garden

In the private areas, material continuity and chromatic neutrality create a quieter atmosphere. The primary suite combines woven textures, fabrics and timber flooring, with direct access to a balcony that re-establishes the connection with the exterior.

In the powder room, marble is used on the wall panel and for the sculpted basin with a honed finish. Diffuse lighting emphasizes the texture of the stone without dominating the space.

Outside, dense landscaping surrounds the pool and creates a private setting removed from the pace of the city. Furniture with simple lines and durable materials supports continuous everyday use.

Through the relationship between spatial integration, natural light and material continuity, MAS House proposes a fluid way of living in which the interior, garden, furniture and daily routines form part of the same domestic environment.

A 1970s Apartment Reorganized for Contemporary Living

The project concerns the renovation of an 85 sq.m. apartment on the first floor of a 1970s residential building in Neapoli, Nikaia. The owner’s main request was to keep the intervention as limited as possible, while also creating sufficient storage space for everyday use.

The design is based on an open plan that unifies the living areas, reinforces a sense of through-space and allows natural light to spread throughout the apartment. Through a small number of precise moves, the apartment is reorganized in a way that significantly improves its daily use.

One Unified Living Area

The main intervention involved removing the partition walls that separated the living room and dining area from the corridor and kitchen. This allowed the previously divided spaces to merge into a more connected and functional layout, bringing natural light even into the corridor at the center of the plan.

The demolition revealed the main structural elements of the building, including the column at the center of the unified space and the beam that runs lengthwise through the apartment, from the entrance to the bedroom. Rather than concealing these elements, the design incorporates them into the new spatial organization.

 

 

A Bookcase as Spatial Filter

The apartment is organized into three distinct zones: the entrance and living areas; the transitional zone leading to the private rooms, including the bathroom, storage room and corridor; and the bedroom with the auxiliary room-office.

A bookcase placed beneath the beam plays a central role in the new layout. It operates as a dividing piece of furniture, separating the living areas from the private zone without fully closing them off. Its ribbed-glass back allows natural light to diffuse toward the corridor, while limiting direct visual contact and preserving privacy. The material also refers to the aesthetic character of the original 1970s apartment.

The Kitchen as a Place of Gathering

The kitchen is treated as an integral part of the open plan. It is directly connected to the dining and living areas and develops along the north-south axis, becoming a vital component of the unified living space.

A secondary island provides additional work surface while allowing the kitchen to function as a place of gathering. In this way, its role extends beyond functionality and becomes part of the apartment’s everyday social life.

 

 

Storage Through Limited Interventions

The new organization responds to the initial request for improved functionality and storage, without requiring extensive construction work. A built-in wardrobe is designed at the entrance, part of the bathroom is used to create a storage room, and the lower section of the bookcase provides additional storage.

These solutions improve everyday usability while preserving the openness and continuity of the apartment’s new living core.

Earthy Palette and 1970s References

The material and color palette is based on soft, earthy tones, combining the grey of the structural elements with warm off-white shades and natural wood. Stronger color accents appear in the kitchen and bedroom, where green dominates, and in the bathroom, where blue is introduced.

In the bedrooms, the existing flooring was preserved after maintenance, while large-format ceramic tiles were used in the unified living area, reinforcing the sense of continuity and spatial integration.

 

 

Furniture, Objects and Personal Identity

Some of the furniture was custom-designed for the apartment, while a Danish armchair from the owner’s collection, lighting fixtures, artworks and handmade decorative objects with curved forms contribute to the space’s personal identity.

Through the composition of geometric forms, natural materials and contemporary design lines, the renovation achieves a balanced coexistence between old and new. The apartment is redefined as a flexible and ergonomic living environment, with clear architectural identity and functional organization.

A 1970s Apartment Reworked for Contemporary Living

Located in a prominent 1970s building in the city of Ioannina, Thalen Apt by Pantazi5 Architects is a 74 sq.m. apartment renovation designed for a sociable couple. The project brings together childhood memories, the existing character of the apartment and a forward-looking approach to everyday domestic life.

Rather than erasing the memory of the original space, the redesign acts as a bridge between what the apartment already carried and the future patterns of living it now needs to support. The result is a compact interior that combines hospitality, practicality and carefully controlled material contrasts.

One Intervention, One New Living Core

The project focuses on the apartment’s living areas. A single change to the existing plan allows previously separated rooms to merge into a more connected and functional layout, creating an extended naturally lit space that becomes the center of the home.

This new living core accommodates everyday use, gatherings and flexible domestic routines. It is organized not through rigid partitions, but through material definition, visual continuity and a clear relationship between open, transparent and enclosed zones.

 

 

Open, Glass and Wooden Areas

The unified space is visually divided into three distinct areas: the open area, the glass area and the wooden area. These correspond respectively to the living room, the kitchen and the service zone, which includes storage and a WC.

Although strongly differentiated in tone and texture, the three areas flow into one another. Existing uses, such as the dining area within the kitchen and the arrangement of the living room, are preserved and reworked, while new functions are introduced to support the apartment’s more practical and hospitable character.

Green Marble and a Parametric Mirror Installation

The open area forms the main living space of the apartment. Closely connected to the kitchen, it also provides access toward the private areas through the service zone.

Clad with green marble flooring, the bright living room includes furniture made from reused materials of the existing apartment. A parametrically designed mirror installation becomes the space’s most distinctive intervention, framing specific views toward the neighboring neo-Byzantine monument of the Zosimaia Educational Academy.

 

 

The Kitchen as a Transparent Room

The kitchen is part of the same unified living area, but it is defined through a glass screen that maintains visual contact and interaction between the two zones. Transparent and opaque cupboards form a flexible arrangement that supports both cooking and dining.

Black granite worktops give the kitchen a strong material presence, while light grey tiles and black steel shelving complete the palette. The shelving adds a sculptural quality to the room, while also functioning as storage.

Iroko Wood and the Introverted Service Zone

Next to the transparent kitchen area, the wooden zone is the most introverted part of the apartment. Finished with upcycled iroko wood from the original apartment, it accommodates storage and a WC, while also mediating access to the private rooms.

Through this compact service core, the renovation adds functionality without fragmenting the new living area. Thalen Apt therefore becomes a careful study in how a small apartment can be reorganized through one precise spatial move, turning existing materials, memory and contemporary use into a coherent domestic environment.

A Former Warehouse Transformed into a Wellness Space

In Metaxourgeio, Athens, Hekate Fitness Club by Studio Maneo transforms a former warehouse into a bright and calm wellness space. The project is guided by the architectural idea of disconnecting from the intensity of the city, creating an interior where exercise, safety and sensory decompression are brought together.

Although the owner comes from the world of sports, the ambition was not to create a conventional gym. The design instead seeks to shape a space that first conveys a sense of personal safety and respect for each visitor’s identity, while offering a moment of retreat from the dense rhythm and visual noise of the city center.

A Space of Disconnection from the City

The project approaches wellness as a broader physical and mental experience. The goal was for visitors to feel closer to nature, but also to their own physical and spiritual condition. In this sense, the interior is conceived less as a place of performance and more as a protective environment for movement, concentration and recovery.

This atmosphere is developed through natural materials, clean geometries and light as a primary design tool. Wood cladding, terracotta tones and earthy shades create a calm setting, where the balance between light and shadow becomes part of the spatial experience.

 

 

Natural Materials and Soft Opacity

The façade is treated with milky glass, establishing a balance between light diffusion and soft opacity. This gesture protects the interior from direct visual exposure while allowing light to enter gently, forming a secure and atmospheric environment for exercise.

Inside, the 140 sq.m. space is organized across two levels. The ground floor hosts the reception and workout areas, while the upper level contains support functions, including changing rooms and washrooms. The plan is structured through the idea of a “box within a box,” clearly defining uses without fragmenting the overall atmosphere.

The “Box Within a Box” and the Martial Arts Area

The martial arts area is defined by wooden wall panels, distinguishing it from the rest of the program and reinforcing the perception of an inner volume nested within the larger space. This architectural strategy gives the project clarity and depth, while preserving a sense of continuity between the different functions.

The reception is also conceived as a wooden box-like structure. Its clostra surface visually connects it with the rear martial arts area, allowing the idea of nested spaces to be repeated across the interior through material and rhythm.

 

 

Linear Skylights and the Stair as a Light Filter

Two key elements define the lighting qualities of the project: the linear skylights and the central staircase leading to the secondary level. The skylights allow natural light to enter softly throughout the day, gradually transforming the atmosphere of the interior as time passes.

The staircase is framed by a tall freestanding wall, which acts as a spatial filter between the two main uses. A vertical slit in the middle of the wall is fitted with clostra panels, creating shifting effects of light and shadow, opacity and transparency.

Indoor Planting as a Transitional Gesture

As visitors move through the space, they encounter indoor plants placed within built-in planting beds. This gesture introduces nature into the interior not as decoration, but as a transitional filter.

The planting supports decompression both upon entering from the intensity of the city and when leaving after physical exercise. Through this sequence, Hekate Fitness Club shapes wellness as an experience that begins before training and continues after it, connecting body, light, material and atmosphere.

An Architect’s Own Apartment in São Paulo

Designed as his own residence, AC Apartment by Arthur Casas is a synthesis of technical precision, functionality and personal narrative. Located in Praça Henrique Monteiro, a mixed-use complex also designed by the architect, the apartment is conceived as a direct extension of his thinking on architecture, design and urban life.

Every decision, from the organization of the plan to the detailing of the carpentry, reflects a conscious adaptation to everyday use. The result is a residence that combines spatial fluidity, integrated systems and aesthetic intention, while marking a significant shift in the architect’s way of living: from a 1940s house in Pacaembu, designed by Artigas, to a more compact, contemporary and practical urban apartment.

A 300 sq.m. Plan Without Residual Space

With an area of approximately 300 sq.m., the apartment was designed to eliminate unused spaces and prioritize direct circulation, functional clarity and versatile environments. Full automation, custom-made solutions and extensive use of natural materials create an atmosphere that is precise but welcoming, controlled but lived-in.

The interior also functions as a calm background for Arthur Casas’ personal collection of artworks, sculptures, books, photographs, cherished objects and design pieces. As the architect notes, designing for himself was, in his words, easy: he knew what he liked and how he lived.

 

 

A Continuous Social Area

Upon entering the apartment, the integration of spaces is immediately apparent. The door opens into a continuous social area, where the living room, dining room, home theater and kitchen are connected through a single architectural gesture. Circulation is fluid and unobstructed, while fixed elements organize the space naturally.

In the living room, the Fusca sofa by Arthur Casas for Micasa occupies a central position, accompanied by Bauhaus chairs by Franco Albini, the Elda armchair by Joe Colombo and a Desenho coffee table by Arthur Casas. The atmosphere is strongly shaped by art, with works by Mira Schendel, Carlito Carvalhosa, Anna Maria Maiolino and Waltércio Caldas, among others.

Dining Room, Kitchen and Integrated Carpentry

The transition to the dining room is seamless. A dining table in canela wood slats, designed by Arthur Casas, is surrounded by Flair’o chairs from B&B Italia, while sculptures by Rafael Oboé, Liuba Wolf, Ilha do Ferro and Rhodes contribute to the layered character of the space. A painting by Paulo Pasta marks the wall, while embedded fixtures in the continuous wooden ceiling provide precise lighting throughout the apartment.

The kitchen features the Disco stool by Arthur Casas for Studio Objeto and Neolith Basalt Grey countertops, integrated into a custom carpentry structure designed by the architect. The cabinetry conceals appliances and optimizes storage, allowing the kitchen either to merge with the social area or to be closed off by a sliding door, according to use.

 

 

Home Theater and Multifunctional Office

Adjacent to the kitchen, the home theater revisits the Fusca sofa, now combined with the Tavolino 1932 side table by Gio Ponti, the Marsala armchair by Michael Ducaroy for Ligne Roset and a tapestry by Henri Laurens. Shelves display sculptures, ceramics and plates by Livia Gorka, Pablo Picasso and Jean Lurçat, alongside books and personal objects.

Between the social and intimate areas, the office operates as a multifunctional room. It serves as a workspace, while also accommodating a bed for visits from one of the architect’s children. The room features the Pivot High stool by Vitra and a collection of Arthur Casas’ miniature cars, displayed in custom-designed niches.

A Wooden Transition to the Private Areas

The corridor leading to the bedrooms is lined in wood, creating a quiet transition toward the private areas of the apartment. Along the walls, a collection of photographs includes works by Pierre Verger, Mario Cravo Neto, Bob Wolfenson and Cristiano Mascaro, turning circulation into a gallery-like sequence.

In the master suite, the atmosphere is defined by subtle lighting, vintage table lamps, technical fixtures such as the Ledtube by Marset, a continuous wooden ceiling and custom-designed furniture. A Giuseppe Scapinelli armchair and a Via Appia marble nightstand complete the room, alongside works by artists including Tarsila do Amaral, Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, Athos Bulcão and Flávio de Carvalho.

 

 

Technology, Precision and Atmosphere

Every technical detail was integrated with precision: central vacuum, embedded sound system, invisible air conditioning, anti-moisture system, intelligent sensors and full automation. Lighting fixtures by XAL highlight the artworks and materials with precise light distribution, without competing with the architecture.

This technical control supports the apartment’s broader atmosphere. The project is not only about efficiency or display, but about creating a living environment where infrastructure disappears into the architecture and allows materials, art and daily life to take the foreground.

Architecture Experienced at Scale 1:1

Living in an apartment he designed himself, from the building and plan to finishes and furniture, gives Arthur Casas the opportunity to experience his architecture at full scale. Praça Henrique Monteiro, which brings together hotel, restaurant, boulangerie, jazz club and residences within one complex, is understood by the architect as a living organism in constant adaptation.

For Casas, the apartment could not be separated from the wider project. Its meaning lies in the continuity of language between the residence, the tower and the other programs of the complex. AC Apartment is therefore both a private home and a lived manifesto: a compact urban residence shaped by architecture, art, memory and the routines of everyday life.

A Compact Nail Studio in Pangrati

Located in Pangrati, Nailon Room by So Far Studio is a neighborhood nail studio developed within a compact space of just 20 sq.m. Rather than treating the limited area as a restriction, the project is conceived as a single atmospheric environment, where light, texture and spatial continuity define the experience of the interior.

The design focuses on softness and intimacy, creating a quiet pause within the rhythm of the city. Upon entry, the space is immediately shaped by a suspended textile installation at ceiling level, which introduces a sense of lightness and enclosure without reducing the clarity of the room.

A Suspended Textile Installation as Spatial Device

The translucent textile surface acts simultaneously as a light filter and a spatial device. It diffuses illumination across the interior, softening the atmosphere and transforming the perception of the room into something quieter, more immersive and almost scenographic.

This ceiling intervention becomes the defining element of the project. It gives the compact plan a sense of depth and continuity, while establishing an immediately recognizable identity for the studio.

Materials, Reflections and Pastel Tonalities

A restrained palette of cement plaster, plywood surfaces and pastel pistachio-toned details establishes a calm architectural language rooted in texture and tactility. Clean geometries and carefully balanced proportions reinforce the clarity of the interior, allowing the few material gestures to carry the atmosphere of the space.

Subtle reflections and layered transparencies continuously shift the perception of depth throughout the day. A large mirror positioned along the main axis visually expands the room, multiplying the presence of the textile installation and dissolving the physical limits of the compact plan.

A Linear Bar and Integrated Bench

The spatial organization is structured around a long linear bar element, which functions simultaneously as reception desk, manicure station and social threshold. This element concentrates activity and gives the small interior a clear functional order.

Opposite, a continuous built-in bench accommodates the waiting area, product display and pedicure station within a single integrated gesture. In this way, the different functions of the nail studio coexist without fragmenting the space.

Atmosphere Over Visual Excess

Rather than prioritizing capacity or visual excess, Nailon Room focuses on atmosphere, softness and sensory experience. Through light diffusion, muted tonalities and material continuity, the interior momentarily detaches visitors from the intensity of the city.

The result is an intimate and immersive environment, gently suspended between function and scenography. Within just 20 sq.m., the project creates a complete interior world defined by restraint, clarity and atmospheric precision.

A Demanding Transformation in Kolonaki

In the heart of Kolonaki, Kokosalaki Architecture renovates a 170 sq.m. apartment, shaping a contemporary urban residence around art, objects, textures and refined domestic atmosphere. The project, originally titled Refined Luxury, is set within a 1950s apartment building in central Athens and responds to the particular character of the existing shell.

The renovation was guided by the owner’s important personal art collection and distinct vision of modern luxury. The aim was to create a calmer, cleaner and more contemporary environment, without sacrificing the warmth, atmosphere and personality of the home.

Art, Objects and Contemporary Urban Living

The apartment is organized as a layered interior in which art is not treated as a later addition, but as an active part of the overall atmosphere. Works of art, objects and textures are integrated into a composition that allows the residence to remain personal while retaining a sense of order and clarity.

Through this approach, contemporary urban living is understood not as a neutral background, but as a daily experience with character. Surfaces, furniture, lighting and details are brought together to support intimacy, privacy and the presence of art in everyday life.

 

Working Within the Existing Shell

As is often the case with the renovation of 1950s apartment buildings in central Athens, the project involved a series of technical and construction challenges: outdated infrastructure, restricted site access, complex coordination requirements and the constant need to balance contemporary intervention with the character of the existing shell.

These limitations were absorbed into the design process in a controlled way. The new architectural language does not impose itself on the existing apartment, but develops through it, allowing the residence to acquire a more contemporary identity while preserving its memory and scale.

Light, Contrast and Atmosphere

From the bright, sun-filled living areas to the intentionally darker and more atmospheric WC, the apartment unfolds through contrast. Softness is set against structure, natural textures against refined detailing, openness against intimacy.

These contrasts do not operate as conflicts, but as complementary conditions that give the residence depth, rhythm and internal balance. The result is a domestic interior that is calm, composed and quietly expressive.

Understated Luxury and Personal Character

Luxury is approached through restraint rather than excess. The sense of quality emerges from precise choices, the relationship between materials, the atmosphere of the spaces and the way the apartment supports daily life.

Apartment Renovation in Kolonaki by Kokosalaki Architecture forms a home that feels both contemporary and deeply personal. Art, texture and contemporary urban living coexist in balance, shaping a residence of understated luxury in the center of Athens.

Japanese Aesthetics in Contemporary Athens

The Darya J Hotel is a contemporary hospitality destination in Athens, where the principles of Japanese aesthetics are translated into a refined architectural experience. Rooted in ideas of simplicity, balance, and material authenticity, the project establishes an atmosphere of calm and understated luxury within the dense urban fabric of the city.

Shared Spaces, Courtyard and Rooftop

The shared spaces are organized around a sense of continuity and flow, connecting the lobby, bar, and breakfast area with a landscaped outdoor courtyard featuring planting and a swimming pool. On the mezzanine level, flexible co-working spaces are introduced, while the rooftop hosts a bar with a jacuzzi, offering panoramic views over Athens.

Rooms, Suites and Spatial Transitions

Across five floors, the hotel accommodates 34 rooms, including four suites. The spatial organization is defined by clarity of form and fluid transitions between functions. In selected rooms, elevated sleeping platforms and partition elements inspired by traditional Japanese noren curtains create a contemporary interpretation of Japanese domestic space.

Material Authenticity and Crafted Details

Materiality plays a central role in the design language. Warm cherry-toned timber, Volakas and Cretan marble, natural textures, and bespoke surface treatments compose interiors with a strong tactile presence and timeless character. Custom lighting elements, flush details, and carefully crafted junctions reinforce a sense of harmony and precision throughout.

A Shoji-Inspired Façade

The architectural identity of the building is expressed primarily through its reimagined façade, inspired by traditional Japanese shoji screens. Vertical metal fins and perforated metal elements act as filters of light and privacy, introducing depth, rhythm, and a constantly shifting perception of the building envelope. At night, linear architectural lighting accentuates the geometry of the composition, strengthening the building’s presence within the urban landscape.

Calmness, Material Sensitivity and Atmosphere

The Darya J Hotel approaches hospitality as an experience defined by calmness, material sensitivity, and carefully composed atmosphere, where Japanese philosophy meets contemporary Athens.

A Top-Floor Apartment Reopened to Light

In Vouliagmeni, Athens, D Flat by Virginia Malami transforms a top-floor apartment open on three sides into a clearer and more luminous domestic interior. In the existing layout, the living areas were oriented in a single direction, leaving the depth of the apartment underlit. The renovation opens the plan from end to end, allowing daylight to travel the full 14.5 metres of the interior from morning to evening.

The project establishes a renewed relationship between active shared spaces and quieter private rooms. Rather than treating the apartment as a sequence of separate rooms, the redesign introduces a continuous spatial order, balancing openness, privacy and the changing presence of light throughout the day.

Three Longitudinal Zones

The plan is organized into three longitudinal zones: a living zone, a central service and infrastructure zone, and a sleeping zone beyond. This division creates a contrast of tempo and atmosphere. The common rooms remain open and flexible, designed to host everyday life in different forms, while the bedrooms are more serene and contained.

The middle band becomes the threshold between these two conditions. It gives thickness to the plan, defines transitions and holds the more technical parts of the apartment, allowing the living areas and bedrooms to retain a sense of calm and clarity.

An Oak Spine for Domestic Infrastructure

At the center of the project is a continuous oak construction that runs along the length of the apartment. It is both furniture and space, a precise architectural element that gathers almost everything newly introduced by the renovation into one continuous system.

The oak spine contains the kitchen, entry coat storage, concealed bedroom doors, a utility cabinet with washing machine, WC, bookshelf and media cabinet. By consolidating these functions, the rest of the plan remains open and uncluttered. A continuous linear light follows the length of the element, turning it after dark into the apartment’s protagonist: an illuminated spine that gives the new program a single, unmistakable presence.

Material Continuity Through Marble and Oak

The material strategy is based on continuity rather than replacement. The existing beige Ioannina marble was preserved as a datum, while new oak was introduced in dialogue with the apartment’s earlier wood presence.

Together, marble and oak create a measured rhythm along the plan through pattern, joints and repetition. Red-and-white striped awnings were also reintroduced, echoing the original elements and carrying their graphic presence into the renewed apartment.

Reuse and Spatial Memory

Reuse forms an integral part of the project’s approach to sustainability and to the respect of what was already there. Where new marble was required in the kitchen after removing parquet, the material was sourced from the demolition rubble of a nearby renovation.

This decision reduces waste while extending the life of an existing material by giving it a new role within the apartment. The renovation therefore works not only with new elements, but also with fragments of material memory that are absorbed into the project’s contemporary organization.

Greek Atmosphere and Swiss Precision

D Flat also reflects the architect’s own trajectory. Raised within a Greek cultural context, with its particular relationship to light, materials and everyday outdoor living, and architecturally formed in Switzerland, where precision and functional clarity are fundamental, the project brings these two registers together without hierarchy.

Local atmosphere and familiar domestic cues are paired with a Swiss-inflected discipline of organization, concentrated infrastructure and concealed transitions. The result is an apartment that feels calm and usable, while retaining a strong relationship to its setting and history.

New Life for an Inherited Apartment

The renovation also acknowledges the personal history of the apartment, which is set within a structure originally built by the architect’s father. Its existing character and spatial memory are treated as material to be worked with, sharpened and carried forward rather than replaced.

Ultimately, D Flat is a project of alignment: plan with sun, new work with existing matter, and contemporary life with inherited character. Through a continuous oak spine, preserved marble and carefully organized light, the apartment is transformed into a calm and precise domestic interior.

A Contemporary Café in the Alpine Borderland

In Tarvisio, a town shaped by its position between Italy, Austria and Slovenia, Caffè Nazionale reopens as a contemporary space of gathering and social interaction. Designed by Elisa Mansutti Architetto, the project brings back to life a name deeply rooted in the town’s collective memory, reinterpreting it through a language of arches, timber, marble and greenery.

Tarvisio lies within a border landscape defined by exchange, transit and arrival. Located between the peaks of the Julian Alps and the Tarvisio Forest, the café draws on this condition of passage and encounter, translating the forms and materials of Alpine tradition into a refined interior for everyday use.

Reinterpreting the Historic Café

The project occupies a large vacant retail unit along the town’s main street, fully glazed toward the exterior and internally structured by a sequence of existing columns. Rather than treating these columns as constraints, the design incorporates them into a rhythmic architectural system that organizes the entire space.

The result is an interior that balances openness and intimacy. The café remains visually connected to the street, while its internal composition introduces a more layered sequence of spaces, allowing different forms of use to coexist throughout the day.

Arches as Permeable Thresholds

The first design gesture was the transformation of the existing columns into a wall articulated by a continuous series of arches. Beginning at the entrance, this arched sequence extends across the length of the interior, filtering the space and establishing a clear spatial rhythm.

The arches distinguish the bistro area from the more intimate lounge without fully separating them. Regular and measured, they operate as permeable thresholds: architectural elements that suggest division while preserving visual continuity and movement.

A Modular Fir Wood System

At the rear of the café, a fir wood backdrop recalls the native tree species of the Tarvisio region. Warm and tactile, this wooden system separates the service areas from the public space, while introducing a material presence directly connected to the surrounding Alpine landscape.

The system is based on a 60 cm module. Vertical timber elements clad the walls and define open shelving for the display of wine bottles. Following the same rhythm, they extend upward into the ceiling, becoming beams and panels that integrate the lighting system. Walls, furniture and ceiling surfaces are therefore linked through a continuous modular order.

Green Marble and the Operational Heart of the Café

The counter forms the operational heart of Caffè Nazionale. Designed in an L-shaped configuration with a central island, it brings together materials that evoke the Alpine environment: fir wood and green marble.

The layout provides generous work surfaces, a raised ledge for quick service and direct access to the basement and staff areas. Functional clarity is combined with material intensity, making the counter both a working element and a visual anchor within the café.

Lounge, High Table and Scenic Greenery

Along the glazed façade, a wooden bench runs parallel to the windows. Upholstered in green leather padding, the seating reinforces the material palette of the interior while offering a comfortable place to linger. Heating elements are integrated behind slatted timber panels, preserving visual continuity while allowing warm air to circulate.

In the lounge area, a large high table in marble is fixed to the floor as a sculptural presence. Solid yet refined, it transforms the area into a place dedicated to conviviality. At the back of the lounge, a raised linear planter clad in glossy green ceramic tiles introduces a living backdrop, bringing the presence of the surrounding landscape into the interior.

Flexible Hospitality for Different Moments of the Day

The layout is designed to support multiple uses, structured around the rhythmic sequence of arches that divides the café into two main zones: the bistro and the lounge. Each area can host different activities while maintaining a coherent overall atmosphere.

From morning breakfasts and brunches to afternoon aperitifs and evening live music, the café can adapt to changing social and cultural programs. The combination of modular elements, open plan and adaptable furniture allows Caffè Nazionale to remain inviting and functional throughout the day.

Alpine Materials and a Renewed Local Identity

The project begins from the existing marble flooring, characterized by shifting tones between forest green and deep reddish brown. This material base informs a wider palette that reinterprets the Alpine context: fir wood for walls and ceiling structures, green expressed through marble, glazed ceramic tiles and textured plaster, and living vegetation completing the composition.

Through these elements, Caffè Nazionale becomes more than a renovated hospitality interior. It is conceived as a place of encounter and identity, in constant dialogue with the town, its landscape and the memory of Tarvisio as a borderland of movement and exchange.

A 1970s Apartment Reimagined Through Curved Geometries

In Glyfada, Grozopoulos+Associates undertook the complete renovation of a 100 sq.m. apartment dating from the 1970s. The original residence carried the typical spatial and material characteristics of its period: separated rooms, standardized layouts, parquet flooring, mosaic surfaces and a fragmented domestic organization.

The owners requested a full redesign that would transform the apartment into a contemporary and welcoming residence, suitable both for private use and short-term rental. Rather than erasing the memory of the existing interior, the design upgrades the apartment according to the needs of contemporary living, while preserving traces of its original atmosphere and material character.

Reorganizing the Plan for Contemporary Living

The renovation involved a significant reworking of the apartment’s layout. The positions of the bathroom and kitchen were exchanged, the corridor was opened up, and the floors and finishes in the kitchen, bathroom and WC were fully replaced.

This reconfiguration allows the apartment to function with greater clarity and fluidity. The former segmentation of the plan gives way to a more open domestic sequence, where the main living areas are visually and functionally connected.

Curves as Spatial and Functional Devices

The central design gesture is the introduction of curved geometries throughout the apartment. These curves appear in the ceilings, in fixed furniture and in movable elements, establishing a consistent spatial language across the residence.

Rather than operating only as a formal motif, the curves also organize the interior. They integrate lighting, soften transitions and define functional zones with subtlety, giving the apartment a sense of continuity without relying on rigid divisions.

A Green Marble Bar-Counter as a Focal Point

The unification of the kitchen, dining area and living room is organized around a linear bar-counter clad in deep green Indian marble. Positioned as both a focal point and an everyday functional element, the counter anchors the open-plan living space.

The natural stone, with its distinctive color and depth, introduces a sense of understated luxury. It is balanced by the wooden surfaces of the new kitchen and by the restored parquet flooring, creating a dialogue between new interventions and the apartment’s existing material memory.

Restored Parquet and the Continuity of Material Memory

The original herringbone parquet was carefully restored and sealed, allowing it to function as a timeless surface that connects the apartment’s past with its new identity. This decision was guided not only by aesthetic and historical considerations, but also by sustainability.

By preserving and reusing the existing floor, the intervention significantly reduced the need for new materials. The restored parquet becomes both a visual foundation and a subtle reminder of the apartment’s former life.

Earthy Tones, Organic Forms and an Urban Retreat

The material and color palette is composed of soft, earthy tones, warm off-whites, natural and dark wood, with stronger accents introduced through furniture and selected details. Contemporary lighting fixtures, furniture, artworks and decorative objects with organic forms reinforce the apartment’s overall character.

Through curved geometries, natural materials and contemporary lines, the renovation establishes a balanced relationship between old and new. The apartment is transformed into a flexible and refined living environment: a quiet urban retreat shaped by clarity, warmth and restraint.

A Retail Interior Conceived as a Journey

Located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Travelmar Kaohsiung by FLOAT DESIGN STUDIO transforms a multi-brand luggage store into a layered spatial narrative, where travel, craft and local memory converge. The flagship space is dedicated primarily to Globe-Trotter, the historic British luggage brand founded in 1897, whose handmade cases are known for their distinctive combination of strength and lightness.

The design draws from Globe-Trotter’s visual language — curves, quarter-circles and arches — and reinterprets it through the urban and material context of Kaohsiung. Rather than creating a neutral retail environment, the project establishes a dialogue between brand identity and place. The result is a store that operates not only as a commercial interior, but as a spatial metaphor for departure, movement and return.

Globe-Trotter, Kaohsiung and the Language of the Arch

Kaohsiung’s history as a port city plays a central role in the concept. The image of ships arriving in the city is translated into a spatial system inspired by its gridlike urban fabric. This modular logic informs the display platforms, which can be joined, staggered or stacked according to different retail needs.

At the same time, the warm red-brick palette refers to the city’s material heritage, including its historical production of red brick and the brick-arched structures of the nearby British Consulate at Takao. The arch becomes a shared reference between brand and city: a form associated with Globe-Trotter’s rounded luggage details, but also with the architectural memory of Kaohsiung.

A Street-Front Façade with Red Brick Hues

The façade extends this narrative into the street. As a street-front store, Travelmar uses its exterior as a first gesture of invitation. The storefront is slightly recessed to form a soft diagonal corner, allowing passersby to perceive the depth of the interior while moving through the surrounding arcade.

Red brick tones, curved forms and arched elements distinguish the store from its urban context, while the floor pattern and color gradient draw the eye inward, toward the angled counter and the staircase beyond. From exterior to interior, the curved geometry establishes a sense of continuity, turning the threshold into the beginning of a spatial journey.

Modular Retail Displays Across Three Levels

Inside, the ground floor is dedicated to Globe-Trotter and uses arcs and arches to reinforce the brand’s flagship presence. The second and third floors are conceived with greater flexibility, offering adaptable platforms for other brands.

Lightweight partitions, galvanized panels and reclaimed components introduce a rawer material character, while natural wood elements create a tactile dialogue with the displayed products. The result is a retail environment that can shift according to different collections, without losing the coherence of the overall spatial language.

 

Light, Circulation and Urban Layering

A key challenge of the long, narrow plan was the limited daylight at the rear of the store. To address this, partitions were removed and the stairwell was opened, allowing natural light from the third floor to filter downward through the interior.

Ceiling fixtures follow a grid-like arrangement, echoing the structure of the city while providing a steady rhythm of illumination across the different levels. This light-guided circulation helps visitors move through the store intuitively, as if following a runway or urban route.

A Layered Interior Landscape Inspired by Kaohsiung

The project’s spatial composition is built through layering. Platforms, shelving and display elements stack, shift and interlock, creating an interior landscape that recalls the vertical density of Kaohsiung.

Adjustable modules allow the store to accommodate changing collections, while staggered arrangements break the rigidity of linear display. Visitors move through the space as if through a compact urban field, where changes in height, direction and material produce a continuous sense of discovery.

A Cultural Port for Contemporary Travel

Travelmar Kaohsiung is ultimately conceived as a cultural port: a place where international craftsmanship meets the memory of the city. Through its red-brick hues, arches, modular displays and light-guided circulation, the store frames retail as an experience of movement.

Each suitcase becomes the beginning of a story; each step through the space suggests both departure and return. In this sense, the project transforms the luggage store into an architectural narrative about travel, memory and place.

House of Curves

The residence is a 240m² interior shaped by softness, light and material continuity. Conceived as a calm domestic environment, the project unfolds through fluid transitions and a muted palette, creating a home that changes subtly throughout the day.

 

Design Philosophy

The client, co-owner of a leading fashion brand, wanted the residence to reflect her lifestyle and memories of Mediterranean journeys. References to nature, gentle landscapes and Southern European architecture informed an interior defined by flowing lines, restrained tones and carefully selected natural materials.

Curves become the central design language of the project, appearing in architectural elements, built-in furniture, window niches, countertops and finishing details. More than an aesthetic gesture, these rounded forms diffuse light, soften spatial perception and create an atmosphere of quiet continuity.

 

 

Spatial organization

Achieving this sense of openness required a substantial reorganization of the house, including the reconstruction of the staircase, the opening of the living area and the elimination of sharp corners. At the center of the composition stands a sculptural staircase, designed as a fluid volume rising through the interior. Its asymmetrical form, rounded solid-wood treads and winding balustrade emphasize the precision of the craftsmanship, while connecting adjacent areas such as the study and play zone.

The main living area combines a spacious lounge with an open kitchen and concealed storage. A fireplace is integrated into a long multifunctional unit that also operates as seating, while rounded shelves, subtle ceiling moldings, warm wood tones and crisp white surfaces reinforce the project’s soft minimal character.

 

 

Material Palette

The bathrooms are conceived as private relaxation zones, inspired by spa interiors and Mediterranean serenity. Monolithic bathing areas, recessed alcoves, freestanding bathtubs and walk-in showers are framed by soft geometries and handmade glazed tiles, whose irregular surfaces create delicate variations of light and shadow.

Rounded countertops with integrated basins, hidden shelving, minimalist linear drains and concealed fixtures strengthen the clarity of the design while preserving everyday functionality. Wood, linen, stone and microcement form a tactile material palette, unified by shades of white and grey.

The project stands out through its formal consistency and quiet boldness. Rather than imposing itself, the interior builds character through precision, calm and continuity, creating a home that invites return.

 

Spatial symphony

Tucked within the dense urban fabric of Limassol, the project is conceived as a refined retreat that explores the expressive potential of materiality, light and spatial continuity. The interior unfolds as a carefully curated composition, where tactile surfaces, layered lighting and bespoke details generate an atmosphere that is both intimate and elevated. Each element contributes to a narrative of lived elegance, where design operates not only as a visual language but as an experiential medium.

 

Spatial Organization

The living area develops as a fluid, open-plan environment, where spatial boundaries dissolve in favor of continuity and visual cohesion. A backlit library wall acts as a central architectural gesture, emitting a soft, ambient glow reminiscent of sunset light, while simultaneously functioning as a display system for curated objects and books. This illuminated surface anchors the space, introducing a gallery-like quality to the domestic setting.

Furniture elements are positioned to enhance both comfort and contrast, with a saddle leather grey sofa paired with a vivid red armchair. Full-height glazing extends the interior toward the exterior balcony, establishing a direct visual connection with a vibrant courtyard mural and reinforcing the dialogue between interior and exterior expression.

Material Palette

The kitchen is conceived as the operational core of the residence, balancing everyday functionality with social interaction. Wood cabinetry introduces warmth, while grey stone countertops and integrated appliances articulate a contemporary aesthetic. The central island operates as both workspace and gathering point, seamlessly connecting kitchen, dining and living areas.

In the dining space, a sculptural rose gold chandelier defines the atmosphere, casting diffused light across the black dining table. Upholstered seating and layered table settings introduce a sense of refined informality, while sheer curtains modulate daylight, producing a calm and intimate environment.

 

 

Lighting Design

The bedroom is approached as a sensorial environment, where texture and material layering define spatial identity. Denim-textured wall coverings establish a soft, woven backdrop, framing a sculptural bed upholstered in green textile. Complementary green marble surfaces and leather-wrapped details introduce a nuanced material dialogue, balancing tactility with precision.

Lighting plays a critical role in shaping the atmosphere, with brass-detailed track systems highlighting artworks and surfaces, while a chandelier composed of golden leaf elements introduces a focal, almost scenographic quality. The resulting composition reinforces a sense of intimacy, transforming the bedroom into a contemplative and immersive space.

Overall, the interior design achieves a cohesive synthesis of function, craftsmanship and narrative, aligning seamlessly with the architectural framework of the residence while articulating a distinct and layered domestic experience.

 

Material coherence

Located in São Paulo, the project is conceived with materiality as the central axis of the design and spatial integration as the guiding principle of its architectural organization. The residence articulates a refined architectural language shaped by precision in detailing and a nuanced understanding of contemporary domestic life.

 

Material Palette

Concrete defines the structural and formal expression of the composition, lending the house a distinct urban character. In contrast, freijó wood veneer millwork unfolds continuously throughout the interiors, establishing a cohesive spatial narrative that connects diverse programmatic elements, from the home theater to the guest bedroom. Doors clad in natural banana leaf fibers introduce a layer of texture and tactility, reinforcing the project’s engagement with the expressive potential of materials. The resulting palette establishes a balanced dialogue between rustic references and a contemporary architectural language.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The spatial organization is structured through calibrated degrees of openness and enclosure, enabling a fluid and coherent reading of the house. The kitchen and dining area share a unified visual and material field, allowing for complete integration, while auxiliary functions, such as the wine cellar and support pantry, are accommodated in more contained spatial conditions. Circulation unfolds seamlessly, enhancing the continuity of movement and reinforcing the experiential quality of everyday living.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The relationship between architecture and nature plays a central role in the project’s conception. The gourmet area is organized around an existing tree, which is incorporated as an active spatial element within the design. The garden extends into the interior, operating as a natural continuation of the architectural framework and dissolving the boundary between inside and outside.

On the third floor, dedicated entirely to the couple, the primary suite establishes a direct connection with the exterior through expansive openings. The bathroom, enveloped by vegetation, extends outward to a terrace with a hot tub, amplifying the sensory experience of inhabitation. An adjacent office space is integrated into this level, connected through a custom-designed bookcase that combines storage, library and functional support, maintaining the overall spatial and material coherence.

 

Architecture as a Pluralist Landscape

The project is conceived as a forward-looking architectural statement, aligning the company’s identity with its core values of innovation, technical expertise and long-term sustainability. Bringing together multiple entities with distinct fields of activity, the project articulates a sequence of spatial environments, each expressing an individual corporate character while remaining embedded within a unified architectural framework.

The design unfolds as a layered exploration of form, materiality and atmosphere. Rather than adopting a singular, monolithic identity, the headquarters is conceived as a constellation of environments, each defined by its own formal language, geometry and sensorial qualities, forming a cohesive yet plural spatial experience.

 

Design Philosophy

Within this framework, selected areas adopt a pop-art and postmodern vocabulary, drawing references from the expressive language of Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis School. Through the use of bold colors, graphic patterns and sculptural volumes, these spaces introduce a dynamic and playful spatial rhythm, fostering an environment of creativity and visual stimulation.

In contrast, other zones embrace a raw, industrial aesthetic, echoing contemporary workplace paradigms. Exposed structural elements, carefully calibrated lighting and a palette of honest materials define these environments, where functional clarity is balanced with atmospheric depth.

 

 

Spatial Organization

Complementing these expressive environments, several floors are conceived through a minimalist approach, where spatial restraint, controlled geometries and functional precision become the defining architectural principles. Here, the reduction of form allows for a clear reading of space, emphasizing proportion, light and the essential qualities of the built environment.

This juxtaposition of contrasting spatial languages establishes a dynamic internal landscape, where diversity becomes a key driver of the architectural experience, while coherence is maintained through careful compositional control.

 

 

Biophilic Integration

The project further incorporates biophilic environments, positioning nature and daylight at the core of the spatial composition. Generous planting, filtered natural light and the use of organic textures contribute to a sensorial connection with the natural environment, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Together, these distinct spatial conditions form a living, pluralistic headquarters – an architectural ecosystem where each entity inhabits a space aligned with its identity, while collectively contributing to a unified vision grounded in experimentation, innovation and the continuous redefinition of the contemporary workplace.

 

Legible boundaries

The interior design of a 300 m² office space for an insurance company is conceived as a study in transparency, spatial continuity and organizational clarity. The proposal introduces the notion of the “capsule” as a primary morphological and functional device, structuring the workplace through a series of transparent volumes that articulate the program while preserving a continuous visual field throughout the interior.

 

Spatial Organization

Departing from conventional enclosed office typologies, the design employs glass volumes to accommodate private functions such as meeting rooms and executive offices. These “capsules” operate as lightweight architectural insertions within the open-plan layout, allowing natural light to permeate the entirety of the space while maintaining visual connections across departments. The workspace is thus conceived as a unified environment, where boundaries remain legible yet non-restrictive, supporting both collaboration and autonomy.

 

 

Material Palette

Materiality plays a decisive role in shaping the atmosphere of the interior. Exposed cable trays mounted on metal rails, perforated metal panels and glass block partitions foreground the infrastructural and technical dimension of the workspace. In contrast, neutral surfaces introduce a layer of warmth and balance, establishing a dialogue between industrial expression and a more domestic sensibility. This juxtaposition produces a spatial identity that is both precise and inviting.

 

 

Lighting Design

In the entrance, a large-scale perforated metal screen defines the first spatial threshold. Acting as a semi-transparent filter, it subtly delineates the reception area while maintaining visual permeability toward the open workspace beyond. Light and movement diffuse through its perforated surface, enabling a gradual transition from the entrance zone into the interior.

Lighting design further reinforces the spatial reading of the project. Linear fixtures trace the primary axes of circulation, while sculptural and directional lighting elements accentuate specific zones of work and interaction. Combined with the abundant daylight entering through large openings, the lighting strategy enhances the rhythm, depth and clarity of the interior environment.

The resulting workspace is defined by openness, adaptability and a coherent spatial language. Through the interplay of transparency, material contrasts and light, the project fosters a dynamic environment that encourages collaboration while accommodating moments of concentration and privacy within a unified architectural framework.

 

Highlighting the grid

The OTE Headquarters in Athens is the realized architectural study of a multi-storey office building, star-shaped in plan, based on the proposal that was awarded second prize among twelve selected entries. The project concerns the renovation and reconstruction of office and communal spaces from the 2nd to the 13th floor; a decision made in 2019 within the framework of modernization and energy upgrading of the building envelope.

 

Building history and structure

The construction of the original volume began in 1974, with several modifications to the initial plans, while the building was ultimately put into operation in the 1980s, consolidating all services of the “Hellenic Telecommunications Organization.” On a plot of 52 stremmas, a building with a total floor area of 65,000m² was developed.

The new proposal for the interior layout of the office spaces followed the structural grid of the existing shell. The superstructure consists of three rectangular wings, connected through a central circular core of vertical circulation. Each of the 13-storey wings was designed on a vertical structural grid of 1.25×1.25 m, expressed on the façades through external, non-structural, horizontal and vertical reinforced concrete panels. A similar approach is applied to the circular core, where the panels are exclusively vertical and arranged in a radial configuration. Each wing was “divided” into three longitudinal zones, each corresponding to six openings of 1.25m, resulting in a total width of 7.50m per zone.

 

 

Functional organization

In this way, alternative work modules were developed in full correspondence with the building’s structural grid. In the two lateral zones of each wing, both open-plan and enclosed office spaces were arranged, along with dedicated meeting rooms. In these areas, which benefit from natural light and unobstructed views, the arrangement of workstations in two groups of four creates a maximum unit of eight workstations.

The four corner zones of each wing were enclosed with fixed partitions, accommodating special uses, alternating between executive offices, workspaces, collaboration areas, meeting rooms, relaxation zones, creative spaces, rest areas, and spaces for employee retreat.

Movable, flexible, or fixed partitions for integration, repetition, or separation can accommodate – with mechanical precision – all possible conditions of flexibility, functionality, and adaptability. In the central zone, aligned with the structural grid, meeting rooms, sanitary facilities, and support spaces are developed.

 

 

Design Interventions

These include meeting rooms and areas, WCs, a closed kitchen, printing and copying rooms, semi-open meeting booths for private discussions, and open communal spaces for gathering and relaxation. A significant portion is occupied by the existing central core, which houses MEP spaces and the emergency staircase, while a dedicated project/meeting room at the top level, along with the distinctive design and material selection of the entrance area, complete the central zone.

The primary function of the central circular core is circulation and communication, and secondarily, it accommodates auxiliary uses such as WCs and storage areas. Interventions were kept to a minimum, focusing on the refinement of existing material finishes or the localized addition of new ones, the redesign of lighting and ceilings, and the introduction of custom constructions and selected furniture pieces in the radial, curved areas for rest or breaks between the wings.

In one of these areas, the open food service space (cafeteria) was fully upgraded according to specifications, with new elements, lighting, and equipment. Similarly, the WCs were upgraded through the replacement of partitions, claddings, and sanitary fixtures.

 

 

Material Palette

Key parameters in the process of design, selection, and application methods of materials were compliance with the requirements of LEED and WELL Building Standard certification systems.

The construction materials follow the logic of a central design strategy, with consistent choices in flooring, acoustic ceilings, and lighting, combined with numerous variations in claddings, textures, colors, subtle tonalities, material qualities, and furniture equipment. In this way, each wing and floor forms a distinct yet unique visual identity, resulting in a cohesive compositional and aesthetic outcome aligned with the new concept of the study.

The architectural design of the new interior layouts of the headquarters, along with its subtle visual differentiation on the façade (through the replacement of aluminum frames), completes its aesthetic identity, fully implementing the requirements of certification systems, while respecting the existing shell and reinforcing the building’s established presence in the urban consciousness of a major organization.

 

Evolving environment

The interior architecture of the Brazilian headquarters of the global law firm White & Case, emerges from a refined exploration of how local identity can coexist with an international corporate framework. Rooted in a synthesis of tradition and contemporaneity, the project foregrounds the human experience while articulating a spatial narrative shaped by cultural, behavioral, and functional parameters.

 

Design Philosophy

The conceptual approach is grounded in a deep reading of place, where intangible cultural attributes and patterns of use inform the spatial composition. Every design decision, from the incorporation of Brazilian materials and artworks to the selection of furniture by local designers, operates as a deliberate gesture toward expressing identity without resorting to clichés. The result is an environment that is both welcoming and stimulating, fostering engagement through subtle yet meaningful references to locality.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The layout is structured around a continuous and fluid spatial sequence that connects communal areas, such as the reception, café, and landscaped terrace, with private workspaces and meeting rooms. Open-plan workstations are complemented by acoustic solutions, phone booths, and adaptable meeting spaces, supporting a range of working modes. Retractable partitions enable meeting rooms to shift between openness and enclosure, reinforcing a flexible and dynamic office environment. This adaptability extends to the reception area, conceived as a transformable space capable of hosting events or accommodating more formal, everyday functions.

 

 

Material Palette

The material palette draws from natural references, with wood and stone employed to evoke the textures and tones of the Brazilian landscape. A gradual chromatic transition from darker tones at the core to lighter hues toward the perimeter, enhances the perception of depth and spatial progression. Curvilinear elements in floors and partitions, inspired by the work of Roberto Burle Marx, introduce a sense of continuity and movement, reinforcing the project’s fluid spatial identity.

Finally, the project integrates structural and programmatic strategies that anticipate future change. By embedding adaptability into its core, the design responds to evolving workplace demands while addressing the broader issue of spatial obsolescence. The office thus becomes not only a place of work but an evolving environment, capable of renewal, responsive to context, and expressive of both corporate and cultural identity.

 

Ritualistic process

LOULOU, an iconic boutique dedicated to rare and avant-garde eyewear, introduces its new space in Lyon, conceived as a spatial showcase that reflects both the exclusivity of its collections and the identity of the brand. Recognized internationally and ranked among the top five optical boutiques worldwide, the project articulates a synthesis of design, craftsmanship, and curated retail experience.

The boutique presents a carefully assembled selection of eyewear from international designers, emphasizing rarity, innovation, and the art of detail. Brands originating from diverse cultural contexts, including Japan, France, the United States, and Brazil, are brought together under a unified curatorial vision that foregrounds material precision and aesthetic clarity.

 

Retail Concept

Situated in a new address in Lyon, the store establishes itself as a destination for design-conscious audiences. The relocation marks a strategic evolution, transforming the boutique into a spatial narrative where objects are revealed progressively, fostering a sense of discovery. The retail experience departs from conventional optical environments, instead embracing a philosophy of “quiet luxury,” where discretion, refinement, and personal interaction define the product engagement.

This approach reframes the act of selection as an intimate and almost ritualistic process, where eyewear is introduced gradually, echoing gestures of hospitality and attentiveness. The boutique operates not only as a commercial space but also as a platform supporting independent design and local craftsmanship.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The proposal articulates a contemporary interior language through a restrained yet expressive palette of materials. Pink concrete, dark wood, and brushed metal are combined to construct a layered spatial environment that balances tactility with visual coherence.

The spatial organization unfolds as a sequence of intimate zones, culminating in a boudoir-like setting that enhances the experiential dimension of the visit. This configuration allows for both display and consultation, integrating functional requirements, such as eye testing, within a cohesive and refined architectural framework.

 

 

Material Palette

Materiality plays a central role in defining the identity of the space. The juxtaposition of raw and refined surfaces establishes a dialogue between permanence and precision, while the controlled use of color and texture contributes to an atmosphere of understated sophistication.

The detailing of the interior reinforces the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship, translating the qualities of the eyewear collections into spatial form. Through this approach, the boutique transcends its commercial function, becoming an architectural expression of curated design culture and sensory experience.

 

Shared core

The redesign of the Wealth Management department offices of a dynamic securities company in Athens presented an opportunity to upgrade employees’ everyday experience by improving the qualitative and functional aspects of their working environment. The offices occupy the ground floor of a six-story building dating back to the 1990s, where the existing condition served as the basis for a contemporary reinterpretation of the space.

 

Design Philosophy

A primary objective of the study was to provide sufficient workstations for a continuously expanding team, while also addressing needs for comfort, sound insulation, collaboration, and flexibility. The main challenge lay in accommodating a large number of users within a limited floor area, further complicated by the team’s hybrid working model.

The spatial organization is structured around an elongated, communal “core,” which functions as the main axis of circulation and activity. This core incorporates workstations, a lounge area, storage units, and auxiliary functions, while the more private workspaces are arranged around it. These include offices of varying capacity, an executive office, a meeting room, and supporting spaces such as a kitchenette and WC.

 

 

Material Palette

The dissolution of rigid boundaries is achieved through the use of glass partitions, enhancing visual continuity and reinforcing the perception of the space as a unified environment. At the same time, the “stripping back” of the building envelope – through the removal of suspended ceilings and the exposure of the structural and mechanical systems – introduces an aesthetic of honesty and industrial clarity.

In contrast to the exposed structural elements such as concrete, metal, and visible installations, the material palette is enriched with warm and tactile qualities: woven vinyl flooring in sandy tones, natural walnut veneer surfaces, upholstery fabrics with subtle color accents, and integrated greenery. The result is a balanced composition between technical austerity and spatial warmth.

 

 

Lighting & Acoustic Design

Lighting design played a crucial role, given the uneven distribution of natural light within the ground-floor space. Through a combination of direct and indirect artificial lighting, adjustable shading systems, and specialized window films, a balanced luminous environment is achieved while minimizing glare.

At the same time, acoustic comfort is ensured through the use of sound-absorbing materials, such as perforated surfaces, fabric shades, and specialized flooring, contributing to a calm and productive working atmosphere. Guided by the principles of clarity, transparency, and honesty, the project shapes a multifaceted and flexible workspace that encourages interaction, supports concentration, and enhances the overall daily experience of its users.

 

Biophilic design

The company’s offices, belonging to a global leader in the food industry, have been fully renovated, transitioning from a traditional layout to a biophilic, innovative work environment. Moving away from the conventional closed-office typology, the new space adopts a variety of scenarios. Centered around an open plan logic, the design introduces flexibility, enabling the creation of spaces that support diverse modes of collaboration.

 

Design Philosophy

Materials assume a defining role, shaping atmospheres that encourage a sense of engagement – an essential catalyst for fostering creativity. At the same time, sustainability is embedded as a key component, aligned with the company’s philosophy throughout the entire design process. Upon entry, the reception area conveys a welcoming character, with soft, curved wooden lines that gently embrace the Nestlé logo. Elements such as marble and an olive tree are incorporated to reinforce local identity, while the material and color palette subtly reference local brands. The company’s values are dynamically communicated through an LED wall that adjusts its lighting according to the time of day.

The overall design is organized around a layout accommodating approximately 50–60 workstations per floor, complemented by alternative work areas tailored to the needs of different departments. The workspace prioritizes the open plan concept and the diffusion of natural light through perimeter openings, minimizing visual barriers. At the center of the design lies the “core” – a closed, dynamic form that defines Nestlé’s new era while hosting a variety of functions across distinct zones.

 

 

Spatial Organization

Collaboration rooms, focus booths, pet corners, and recreational areas respond to the diverse needs of the workplace. The aesthetic of the core, linked to the motto “Growing Tree of Good Life,” aligns with the company’s work strategy, while relaxation areas and soft corners distributed throughout the layout promote a sense of comfort, facilitating dialogue and collaboration.

At the main entrance of each floor, a lounge meeting point welcomes visitors, functioning as a flexible space for waiting, relaxation, or informal meetings. Adjacent to it, the “Amphitheater” – inspired by Greek sculptural architecture – offers the possibility of large-scale open gatherings for idea exchange, combining physical presence with technology. Thematic leisure areas on each level act as landmarks that embrace the brand represented by each floor. The meeting room on the north side draws inspiration from the deep blue of the Aegean, symbolizing the dynamism of technology as a medium for next-generation communication and collaboration. Descending to the semi-basement level, users encounter the restaurant, which operates as a space for dining, meetings, or assemblies.

 

 

Materiality & Sustainability

Aiming to support this multifaceted narrative, the restaurant is equipped with flexible furniture that allows for alternative configurations, while plants, in combination with the surrounding outdoor environment, complete the design.

Across the project, 90% of the flooring consists of recyclable materials, wall claddings are made from natural materials such as wood and cork, and acoustic panels are constructed from recycled plastic bottles.

Sustainability lies at the core of the design, with each floor featuring dedicated recycling points for waste separation. The office is also pet-friendly, the first of its kind in Athens, featuring pet corners and a dedicated check-in/check-out system for companion animals.

 

Digital ecosystem

The Viva Wallet headquarters constitute a model working environment, with sustainability at the core of the architectural design. By maximizing natural light and introducing 2,234 plants from 35 different species, an artificial landscape is created that promotes wellbeing and team cohesion.

 

Brand Identity

Mediterranean gardens, lush with lavender, thyme, olive trees, and almond trees, articulate an architecture with a strong ecological consciousness, offering ideal conditions for creativity and innovation within the fast-paced context of the fintech world.

The twin-building complex, organized around a central atrium, operates as an administrative hub for the company’s European activities, accommodating 450 of its total 1,000 employees.

The architectural branding strategy developed for this project established the foundations for a unified corporate identity, applied across all 24 countries where Viva Wallet operates.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The transformation of the workplace model after the pandemic calls for new approaches to spatial design. The new headquarters is thus conceived not only as a place of work, but as a hub for interaction and creative exchange.

Flexible collaboration zones encourage communication and interaction, while areas for individual work provide conditions for focus and seclusion. Meeting rooms, defined by glass surfaces with varying degrees of transparency, maintain spatial continuity while ensuring privacy.

The working environment is further enriched through multifunctional configurations such as brainstorming caves, lounges, and a planted roof, offering alternative modes of working, coexisting, and relaxation. The atrium hosts the “Code Bites” restaurant, promoting gastronomic wellbeing as an integral aspect of corporate culture, while the rooftop café functions as an alternative social hub. Both facilities are designed to transform into amphitheatrical layouts for presentations and corporate events.

 

 

Materiality & Bioclimatic Design

The building’s aesthetic balances technology and nature, with a color palette that combines the deep blue of the corporate identity with earthy tones and natural materials. The bioclimatic design integrates a wide variety of plants, functioning as a living filter that purifies the air and reduces noise pollution. Large glass surfaces allow abundant natural light to penetrate the interior, significantly reducing energy consumption and enhancing indoor environmental quality.

The new Viva Wallet headquarters is not merely a workspace, but a complex ecosystem designed to respond to the evolving demands of the digital era. It reflects the transition from a static, linear model of work to a dynamic, sustainable, and adaptable environment, where physical presence acquires new meaning.

Its architecture serves not only productivity but equally wellbeing, creativity, and sustainable development, shaping a holistic model that supports contemporary professional life and anticipates the future of work.