Italus

Legend has it that the Italian king of Inotrae was the first inhabitant -and first Greek- to settle in the neighboring Appenine peninsula, that would later be named after the mythical colonizer.

Italus, in the commercial heart of Kallithea, Athens, creates an interesting fusion drawing from the products, flavors and traditions of both countries.

The long and narrow plan extends from a busy street to an equally noisy pedestrian lane, first through a double-story interior, then through a low and narrow passageway with a mezzanine, and ultimately to an interior courtyard.

As a response to this challenge, consecutive ground floor spaces are assigned distinct roles: An outdoor lounge, an open façade with an impressive bar welcoming the patrons, an interior private lounge, a cozy, quiet interior courtyard. The distinctive element of all spaces, as well as the feature of the corporate identity, is the “Italian touch”, highlighted by the slender, linear space partitions.

Natural wood and cement, alternating as cladding materials, are joined at an angle, creating interesting V-shapes that define the space’s identity.

The private lounge is designed as a wooden box with a metal skin, bringing light into the formerly dark part of the space. The horizontal perspective is only “disturbed” by the black beams, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the plan.

In the background, the interior courtyard, lush in greenery and in diffuse light, creates a hospitable environment that invites visitors to cross through the bar, into an intimate, calm space.

Chadios+Associates