Colorful shell

The inspiration for the design of this new restaurant is the concept of the Japanese Izakaya “standing sake shop” delivering a space that encapsulates the essence of this experience.

 

Circulation Space

Upon entering, visitors are encouraged to make their first stop at the bar. Following a circular route, they can observe the preparation of cold dishes, the activity in the open kitchen, as well as the making of hot dishes on the robata. The goal is to create a sense of participation in a workshop focused on mixing drinks and experiencing Japanese flavors. To achieve this, minimal, clean materials commonly found in a workshop space -stainless steel for the work surfaces and Corian for the seating counters- are used.

 

Material Selection

The choice of white on the counters and tables creates a backdrop for the strictly geometric and well-arranged dishes, which vary in colour and shape, creating an interesting sight for the visitor, who is on the same level as the chef, watching the food preparation process. The most dominant element is the circular staircase clad in glass blocks to create a luminous cylinder that connects the basement to the loft. Glass blocks are also used on the wall that separates the hall from the kitchen, creating a translucent divider through which movement becomes visible.

 

Lighting Design

Particular attention was placed on the lighting design. Beam spots were used for the bar and food surfaces. Apart from the eccentric staircase and the lighting on the ikebana compositions featured on the interior façade, the rest of the space is discretely illuminated, amplifying the restaurant’s relaxed atmosphere.

Youthful Atmosphere

The project encompasses the transformation of a three-storey building dating back to the 1960s, located in the city centre, into a contemporary student accommodation. This redevelopment will yield 14 apartments along with shared common areas tailored for the residents.

 

Functional Organization

Each of the first three levels of the building features four fully equipped studios, while the top level, hosts two additional apartments. The objective was to craft functional spaces that are also aesthetically enhanced, catering to both the studios as well as secondary facility spaces. To achieve this goal, the storage rooms in the backyard were repurposed into relaxation and entertainment zones, while the attic storage area was reimagined as a collaborative study space.

 

Colour Palette

Cladding the perimeter walls with brightly coloured corrugated sheet metal, installing custom-designed neon fixtures, and incorporating large openings for permeability, elevate the common areas to the most vibrant element of the building. The same principles were applied to the design of the apartments. The colour palette continues to be intense, incorporating pop elements in an open plan space to create a sense of spaciousness despite the limited square metres available. Functions and volumes are separated through different colours that harmoniously cover the walls and ceilings.

 

Façade Design

The focal point on the facade is the graffiti by artist Asteris Dimitriou, exclusively designed for this project. It extends along the central axis of the building, tracing the staircase, and delivers a visually captivating effect, particularly at night when it is stunningly illuminated. The public corridors are clad with bold black and white tiles, while linear lighting fixtures and vibrant warm colours combine to create a striking effect warmly welcoming occupants into a unique environment.

Holistic feast

By blending Mediterranean flavors and modern Latin American cooking techniques, the restaurant’s philosophy follows a constant search for perfection, which, according to Aristotle, one can never reach.

 

Multiple Textures

The 98-seat restaurant is divided into three parts: the bar, the chef’s table, and the grand dining hall, each emanating its own unique energy. The design is clearly influenced by Mediterranean patterns, since it oscillates between white and black tones, shades of blue and characteristic warm, masonry terracotta accents. A “staged” background wall, inspired by the Mediterranean marble quarries, is made of multiple surfaces in various shades and textures of white and connects the different restaurant sections. Soft and rough finishes as well as glossy and matt textures reflect light in different ways, imbuing the wall with meaning and symbolism.

 

Custom Furniture

Elegant leather banquettes and round tables are placed within round vaults at the back wall, fostering for more intimate gatherings. Above the main dining room, glass lamps in the shape of water drops, made by glass designer Simon Klenell, provide warm lighting that mimics the warmth of the sun over the Aegean Sea.

Several furniture pieces are custom-made by the architects and are combined with famous design pieces that define the overall aesthetic. The reception furniture is crafted from olive wood, elegantly complemented by handmade ceramic tiles and pottery pieces designed by the artist Melina Xenakis. The bar is decorated with custom-designed light fixtures and a large-scale photograph of a Greek quarry by George Kordakis.

 

Material Composition

Various authentic high-quality materials were used including Greek and Italian marbles as well as clay and wood from different parts of the world, creating contrasts in texture across the space. The amalgamation of natural materials and striking forms culminates in a holistic celebration, endowing it with a distinct identity defined by the unique synthesis of seemingly disparate elements, worlds, and aesthetic motifs.

Colorful shell

The key idea behind the architectural design of the two school units was the prism through which children perceive reality.

 

Design Philosophy

This is achieved through the creation of a colored transparent shell, which becomes the visual filter between the interior and the exterior spaces through which children experience a world of color and light. The primary role of this colorful shell is that of the “marker that colors” the -mainly white- shell of the building, which metaphorically represents a blank “canvas”.

 

An Interplay with Light

The innovative feature of this specific architectural design is the constant change of the form of the building through refraction, depending on the time of day and thus the position of the sun. The different designs of the two buildings are based on the children’s age and create a distinct architectural language.

 

Functional Design

The nursery, which accommodates particularly young ages of babies and toddlers, consists of a transparent colorful shell where the primary colors arranged in a random position, thus enhancing an interplay with the natural sunlight. The more recent structure, the kindergarten, which is intended for older children, is based on the colors of the rainbow. This has been translated into an even more complex shell, incorporating more colors to achieve a smooth transition from one to the next, imitating the rainbow phenomenon. The colored sections occupy the minimum possible surfaces, i.e. those of three points – triangles – so that the transition of the color alternations takes place at a 45-degree angle. Both structures are considered exemplary spaces for their use and have been designed and built according to the most modern and rigorous protocols.