Situated in the center of Thessaloniki, among little shops, the new gelateria “Fatto a Mano” is ready to serve their customers with signature flavored ice-cream. Blending in with the surroundings and local architecture, the new space is underpinned by a minimal aesthetic. Having chosen a figurative approach in the design of both the exterior and interior of the space, with the natural based materials and the earthy tones dominating the space, the architects have steered clear of any decorative element allowing the premium gelato & pastries to showcase.

The post Fatto a Mano was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Maya is a 97m² holiday apartment at a modernist office building with unique view of the Acropolis, the Benizelos mansion and the famous Athenian sky. These characteristics brought together some of the most important movements in architecture and the arts in present-day Athens, to sum up the culture of the city inside the apartment in the heart of it.

Layout design

The floor plan consists of a master bedroom, a small second bedroom, a comfortable lounge and a series of custom-made furniture created from local manufacturers that can be adjusted considering the need of the guests. The creation of a light construction divider in the middle of the apartment smartly separates the full of light public spaces from the quiet private areas.

Material and color palette

At the entrance, a wooden box is placed, referring to the 30’s “polikatikia” luxurious entrances. In the kitchen, a divider was created with parts from Athenian neoclassical glass doors while contemporary design and marble were used at the furniture. Arches and bricks on the central divider correlate the apartment with the Ottoman era building across the street. In the second bedroom, a functional built-in furniture with bed, alludes to the traditional “sofàs”.

Old fashioned cement tiles in modern shapes were selected for the kitchen and bathroom floor. Attention was paid to the overall color palette to enhance the Athenian experience. Finally, materials and colors create a modern main lounge and work as a frame that highlights the unique view, creating an uplifting feeling.

KN Group

George Sfakianakis

The post Holiday apartment design in the Center of Athens was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Open plan design

Located in Plaka, the historic center of Athens, the building dates back to the 1920s with typical eclectic architectural features on the front facade. The remodeling of the once small hostel to a home for a family of six was based on the removal of the old room partitions to create an open plan common area on the ground floor and the redesign of four large suites on the upper floors.

Custom-made fixtures

The prominent feature of the building, the elaborated high ceilings, are preserved and highlighted in contrast to the elimination of any ceiling decorations on modern houses. All fixtures and fittings are custom designed with luxurious and timeless materials such as the Greek marble from Naxos island, the dark oak wood and the bronze details. The outcome is an outstanding residence where the elegance of the original atmosphere is restored in a classical yet contemporary interior.

Demetra Karampelia & Divercity Architects

The post Neoclassical building renovation in Athens was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The new Aperol bar and restaurant just opened in the heart of Venice, where a peculiar design concept drives to a new way of experiencing one of the city’s most characteristic rituals: the Italian aperitivo.

Measuring over 200 sqm (90 of which are outdoors), the restaurant-bar is housed in the spaces of a historic Venetian palace in Campo Santo Stefano, just a short distance from the Accademia Bridge. The interior combines Venetian values and the brand’s distinctive style, capturing all at once both Aperol’s century-long heritage and the contemporary spirit of the Aperol Spritz.

Terrazza Aperol is a fluid, interactive and dynamic space with 2 areas within that join together but have their own separate entrances: the “Bacaro” bar, a traditional space offering an authentic Venetian aperitivo, and the restaurant area. Both spaces blend seamlessly with the large 90-square-metre outdoor terrace that looks out onto Campo Santo Stefano.

For the interiors, traditional elements have been reinterpreted to bring the space into the 21st century. Venetian mirrors become digital monitors for sharing photos with other Aperol bars around the world. Hand-crafted stucco and wood flooring reclaimed from Venetian “bricole” (navigation poles from the lagoon) are combined with pops of orange. There is a mid-20th-century-inspired bar with 3D-produced recycled polycarbonate panels, and benches with classical forms are paired with neutral fabrics and contemporary style. In celebration of Aperol’s iconic color, the restaurant bar features plenty of orange details, from the edging of the seating and the orange bathroom to the shelves and mirrors. This orange “fil rouge” flows through the different spaces and gives a truly distinctive touch.

Vudafieri Saverino Partners

The post Terrazza Aperol was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Architect Amelia Tavella has just completed the rehabilitation and extension of the Convent Saint-François, in Santa-Lucia di Tallano, Corsica. This partially ruined building from 1480, listed as a historical monument, had been abandoned for a very long time.

“I believe in higher and invisible forces. The Convent of Saint Francis of Saint Lucia in Tallano, built in 1480, is part of this belief. Housed high up, on its promontory, it was a defensive castle before being a place of prayer, of retreat, chosen by monks aware of the absolute beauty of the site. Faith rallies to the sublime. 

With its back to the cemetery, it overlooks the village it is watching. It has a front and a backstage. An olive grove is like a collar at its feet, a happy garden of heavenly food. In front, the spectacle of the Corsican mountains, a dizzying merry-go-round of passes and ridges that seem to move in the direction of the clouds and change their dress with the seasons. Here pulses the heart of Alta Roca. The beauty there is religious, supernatural.

Nature has grown inside the building, slipping between the stones, and then transformed into a plant armor that protects against erosion and collapse. A fig tree is included in the facade. The horn, the wood, the roots become structural, replacing the lime which would not have withstood the test of time. An essential component of the historic monument, we have honored this nature which will have long protected the dormant building before its resurrection.We have chosen to keep the ruins and replace the torn part, the phantom part, in copper work, which will become the House of the Territory. I walked in the footsteps of the past, connecting beauty to faith, faith to art, moving minds from before to a form of modernity that never alters or destroys. The ruins are marks, vestiges, imprints, they also tell the foundations and a truth, they were beacons, cardinal points, directing our axes, our choices, our volumes. Building after ruins is the past and modernity embracing each other, making the promise never to betray each other. One becomes the other and no one is erased. It is an interweaving of an older time in a new time which does not undo, which does not recompose, but which links, attaches, grabs, two unknown and not foreign parts, one of which becomes the extension of the other. in a sort of transfiguration. I have always built this way on my Corsican island, like an archaeologist who brings together what was and what is and what will happen; I do not remove, I hang, bind, affix, slide, resting on the initial ground, on the original work: the copper reveals the stone, the monument and it sacralizes the ruiniform and poetic state. The ruin is like the radiographic image of a structure polished and undone by time and suddenly magnified because it is raised and held by a reversible frame, a light frame, itself doomed to transform, to become a second skin and to possess a story. I liked the idea of a possible return to ruin, that the copper could be undone – this possibility is a courtesy, a respect, to the past, to Corsican heritage.I built the Maison du Territoire by aligning myself with the original massing. By mimicry, I reproduced the silhouette of the pre-existing building. Like the mountain scene, I retraced the blueprint, concerned with a symmetry of Beauty, nothing should strike the eye. I am haunted by the obvious. Each work is a work of love. Love of the place, of the building, of its mutation as one could say of a species which transforms itself from what it has been. The copper allowed a gesture of softness, it is feminine like stone. Unlike granite, however, it approaches its grandeur, by its preciousness and its propensity to capture the light, to reflect it, sending it back to the sky like the prayers of the monks and the faithful who address themselves to the Most High. 

Its moucharabiés direct the light inwards, light captured and diffused as if it were passing through the stained-glass window of a church. A noble and dazzling material in the first sense of the term, copper transforms the place into an experience. The sun falls there and carries away.”

Amelia Tavella

The post Convent Saint-François was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Situated on Via del Corso, one of the most vibrant streets in Italy’s capital, Apple Via Del Corso brings the historic Palazzo Marignoli back to life. Inspired by its colorful past, the design reveals the building’s fascinating and multi-layered history by unveiling painted ceilings and frescoes from the 1890s juxtaposed with modern graffiti artworks from the 1950s. Celebrating the murals, hidden from view for decades, the new design creates a space where the city and history truly meet.

The design is the result of a close collaboration between Apple’s design teams and the integrated engineering and design team at Foster + Partners.

Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “The joy of the project was to peel back and rediscover the layers of history throughout the building and revealing its eclectic past, which ranges from the historic painted ceilings and the frescoes by Fabio Cipolla, both from the 1890s, to the more recent graffiti artworks by Afro Basaldella. Palazzo Marignoli has seen so much throughout its history, and we feel truly privileged to be able to be part of its newest phase of life. Especially, as Rome is one of my favorite cities in the world.”

Located on the site of a 16th century convent ‘delle Convertite,’ Palazzo Marignoli was designed by renowned architect Salvatore Bianchi in 1870 for Filippo Marignoli. A second addition by the architect Giulio Podesti in the 19th century added the main façade we see today. From 1890 to 1955, it housed the famous Caffè Aragno, a fashionable meeting place for writers, journalists and political figures visiting from the neighboring parliament. On the ground floor two large ceiling paintings called “Dawn” and “Dusk” by Fabio Cipolla and Ettore Ballerini respectively, have been carefully restored and integrated within the new store. One of the most exciting finds were the multiple graffiti panels created by the artist, Afro Basaldella – a contemporary of Picasso and one of Italy’s most important artists – depicting urban scenes from Italian cities.

The façade towards Via del Corso has also been carefully restored, its large windows allowing views into the store and towards a beautiful internal courtyard. Entry to the store is through a historic passage that leads to the courtyard flanked by two generous and striking spaces that celebrate the grandeur of the historic palazzo. The arches and vaults of the central passage are lined with Carrara stone, carefully selected to match the existing marble, and create dramatic vistas that lead you to the grand staircase. These spaces are an ideal setting for all customers to engage, explore and be inspired by Apple’s latest products and the artwork that surrounds them.

The courtyard is a remnant of the 16th century monastery and its garden, forming a peaceful green heart offering respite from the busy shopping street. It creates a calm focus for the entire building, visible from almost every corner of the store. The Camphora trees with their soft canopies offer dappled shade, creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors, and leafy vistas up to the lush courtyard terrace on the piano nobile. The historic lanterns that were found on the site have been carefully restored by local specialists using high-efficiency LEDs that mimic traditional candlelight.

The monumental staircase built originally by Marignoli to access his residence on the first floor leads you to the piano nobile, meticulously restored with its original Carrara marble detailing. The original skylight which was built over during a previous refurbishment has been restored to flood the space with artificial light that matches the tone of natural daylight. The first floor houses the Apple Forum within the vaulted former ballroom. The Apple Forum is the focus for Today at Apple that features workshops and events.

The space adjacent to the grand ballroom – historically, used as a games room – features an elaborate geometrically patterned, hand-painted ceiling, which was discovered during construction. A dedicated team of conservators have worked thousands of hours to restore the ceiling to its former glory. Linking all these rooms is a gallery space that opens onto a terrace. Inspired by historic Roman roof terraces, the space is filled with fragrant jasmine vines and olive trees, looking down onto the canopy of trees in the courtyard, offering another delightful place for visitors to unwind and relax.

Apple Via del Corso is a celebration of the past and future and delicately articulates the different eras of history, creating a harmonious juxtaposition of old and new, and takes this building with so much history into its next phase of life.

Foster + Partners

The post Apple Store Via Del Corso was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The house, in the center of Valetta, was redesigned by the architect to accommodate his house and studio. The first phase involved restoring the building to its original design, save a giant skylight in the sala nobile. While the lower levels embrace the existing structure and features tiles, apertures and textures, the penthouse is a contemporary counterpart, defined by contrasts between soft and hard materials, light and shade, solids and voids.

The ground floor, with its vaulted entrance, acts as the main reception, whilst the arched basement is used as a model/prototyping workshop. With the construction of the upper levels, a lift enclosed in a steel and wired glass cage was placed within the courtyard, framing composed views as you ascend. The first floor contains the studio, the second acts as buffer zone. With this being between office and home, formal and informal are catered for. The concrete slab in the sala nobile is thus able to withstand a dance party of thirty people in motion. It is a space without strict function, an architectural library and a music room, a home theatre and a presentation facility, a place for power naps and late-night chats.

The new extension sits on two pre-cast concrete beams, which shift the entire weight of the penthouse onto the side party-walls, thus freeing the house from any additional load. Their inclusion was central to the transformation, but with it came various concerns. Cost aside, they were especially difficult to transport and install on a restricted site, surrounded by historic buildings and narrow streets. Considering their narrow, ribbed form, they were also not easy to design in terms of structural proportions and external skin.

The insertion of the beams was the culmination of excitement as they were slotted in, Lego-like. Subsequently, there was the designing and fitting of the steel railings, which follow the direction of the serrated edges of the beams. Their aesthetic success lies in their surface – cast over a carpet of timber slats – which gives them an ethereal, lightweight appearance in the sunlight, billowy and curtain-like. The master bedroom’s continuous, low window is sensitive to mood, with morning light bouncing off the oak floors, and a ten-metre long line of cacti, you are compelled to look outwards, whether in bed or taking a shower. The penthouse above the bustle of the street feels expansive, liberating. The folding living room doors pack up in a steel-unit which blurs the line between interior and exterior. Natural light fills the entire space from every wall, foliage and trees frame the rooftop views, with both harbours beyond.

The sense of playfulness is demonstrated in the ‘tree house’, a low space located above the kitchen, where the children can be close by. The kitchen is the heart of this home, with a stainless-steel workbench that allows the cook to access tools in an efficient cooking-work triangle.

Chris Briffa Αrchitects

Aldo Amoretti

The post Casa bottega was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Huidekoperstraat 13-15, 17 is a housing project by the Dutch practice Studio Hartzema, located in the historical center of Amsterdam. 11 apartments for an ensemble of two apartment buildings were commissioned by Boelens de Gruyter. The housing complex follows the original parcel of the street and its design is inspired by the timeless qualities of the archetypical Dutch house.

The two buildings have traditionally been the coach houses of the mansions on Frederiksplein. Although these no longer exist, the parcel layout still corresponds exactly to the historical design. In close collaboration with the Municipality of Amsterdam, the overall urban configurations were drawn up. The whole process was based on the parcel layout and the position of the Huidekoperstraat in relation to the Frederiksplein. The original passage from the coach house to the rear courtyard has also been restored.

Bringing together many separate elements has been accompanied by a high degree of restraint and accuracy in the overall composition. In fact, distinguishing the character two buildings on the one hand and taking into consideration their common historical origin on the other hand were key factors for the architectural design. The purity of the architectural, typological and design units is clearly manifested in the flatness of the facade and the clean-cut volumes. The overall expressiveness of the composition has been very subtle and refined.

Studio Hartzema

The post Huidekoperstraat 13-15, 17 was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.