The design and construction of a new building, in a highly charged and rapidly developing residential neighbourhood of Athens such as Gazi, offers the opportunity to answer complex architectural questions. Repeating the traditional typology of an Athenian apartment building in such a peculiar urban environment would be meaningless. Hence the design went through edited ‘transfers’ of the industrial character of the area in which it was developed. Its metal skeleton borrows morphological characteristics from the neighbouring Technopolis complex such as a metal grid and a strong vertical element that form the façade. The most interesting part of its architectural ‘plot’ is to be found inside, where the floor plans of two different buildings ‘interweave’ with each other to provide a unique sense of space. The architectural find of ‘intersecting floor plans’ creates a series of multilevel clusters or cells, which define the area of the apartments without a break. Instead, it contributes to modern, flexible, open spaces filled with natural light that enters from everywhere and heightens the perception of space. It creates a fascinating iconography inside the apartment, while the large balconies unify the inside with the outside. Externally, the building volume retreats far behind the building line in an effort to form an intermediate, ‘public’ space between the city and the apartments. The building contains three different sizes of apartments: 80, 135 and 144m2. The internal configurations and choice of materials follow a post-industrial logic. Exposed concrete ceilings, industrial flooring, high-quality sound and heat insulation, large verandas and balconies offer uninterrupted views of the Acropolis and the city.
Design by:
Photos by:
Panos Kokkinias
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