The post Apartment Renovation in Palaio Psychiko was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The post Lake Tai Villa | Jiangsu, China was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The post Vet ID | Neo Irakleio, Athens was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The post Architecture Office in Glyfada was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

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

The post Viewpoint House in Karpathos was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The post Office Space Design in Halandri was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The post Myran Apenanti was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The initial space of the dental office occupied 50m² and consisted of a small reception area and the open space of the operatory room and the laboratory. The expansion of the dental office involved the addition of a 30m² space to the existing section, to meet the needs of a second operatory room and a small seminar space. 

Layout Design

The limited surface and the irregular shape of the floor plan led to specific architectural interventions, which aimed at the full exploitation of the additional square meters but also at the upgrade of the existing spaces.

The waiting and reception area were expanded and located centrally on the new floor plan. The two operatory rooms were placed on either side of the waiting area. On the right side, the pre-existing operatory room with the laboratory remained in place and on the left the new operatory room with a small office-seminar space was placed.

Lighting Design and Architectural Materials

Translucent glass partitions were chosen between the two rooms, to create the feeling of an open and private space simultaneously. The reception desk that emerges through the new interventions, although inextricably linked to them, stands out due to its curved shape, enhancing the space with movement and plasticity.

Respectively, the choice of white colors in each architectural element allowed the space to follow the alternations of both natural and artificial lighting (warm – cold, dark – light).

Ioli Tripodaki | Tripodakis Architects

The post Smile Esthetics in Kifissia was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The project involves the redesign of a five-story building to cover the needs of a large investment group targeted towards new technology companies. The layout is organized in three elongated zones, with the middle one including vertical circulation and two enclosed atriums. In the other two zones, at the edges of the building shell, open workspaces interchange with closed offices, conference rooms, and circulation and service areas. The architectural vocabulary relies on simplicity, with clear volumes and linear elements, and on transparency, through glass partitions which increase the feeling of spaciousness. In the common areas and around the atriums, oak benches are combined with linear storage units, lockers, and wooden claddings, integrating the vertical surfaces. The same principles were applied to the design of furniture, in the material and finishings selection, colors and textures, as well as in the choice of office equipment. The aim was to create a visually articulated, discreet environment, which facilitates and promotes good spatial functioning.

Gkotsis Serafimidou Architects

George Μessaritakis

256 | April 2021

The post Olympia Group was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The apartment, dating from the 1950ies, is located in the center of Athens, a few steps from the Museum of Cycladic Art. Its architecture and its Art Deco feel were the source of inspiration for the design team, assigned to combine the building image with the fondness of the owners for midcentury design.

Outstanding architectural features of the existing apartment, such as the herringbone oak floors with elaborate borders, were preserved during renovation; in a similar manner, the prominent panelled doors, dividing the entrance hallway from the living room and the old office space, were integrated in the architectural design. Selected materials were used, like natural-colored plaster facing, adding depth to the wall surfaces.

The functional rearrangement of the space was given particular consideration, because natural light was insufficient for most rooms. To cater to the needs of a large family, and also to explore the potential of prime short-term rental, natural light needed to be maximized, especially in the shared spaces. Therefore, the bedrooms and bathrooms were placed in the darker areas, with interior lightwells distributing natural light in the entire apartment. Eventually, hidden storage and concealed passages, such as walk-through woven straw closets leading to a “secret” bathroom, create a mysterious, theatrical atmosphere, supported by architectural lighting.

The fondness of the owners for classic 1950ies items was the guide in the selection of furniture and objects. The apartment features the classic Eero Saarinen table in Arabesquato marble, combined with authentic Henry W. Klein chairs from an antique shop in the Netherlands; The television sideboard is made by a Portuguese artisan, faithfully reproducing 1960ies design. The kitchen keeps with a constructivist aesthetic, to be consistent with the integrated living and dining area. Materials include volcanic stone, oak, black metal sheets, Viennese straw weave and crumpled linen Yutes, combined with selected art works and ceramic sculptures, leading to an adequate aesthetic result. 

Babatchas Design Studio

Ioanna Roufopoulou

The post Apartment Renovation in Kolonaki 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.

Upper Brook Street is located in the heart of Mayfair, within walking distance of both Oxford Street and Hyde Park.

The client had approached the architects to design and renovate two apartments to a ‘Mayfair Rental’ standard. High-end finishes were used throughout, with bespoke joinery and smart lighting control systems also installed.

Flat 9/10, at 170m², includes three bedrooms, three en-suite bathrooms, one WC, kitchen, living room, and study; flat 11, at 110m², includes two bedrooms, two en-suite bathrooms, one WC, kitchen, and living room.

The design aim was to carefully modernise the flats, whilst refreshing and celebrating some of the original heritage design features found in the property.

Studio VA

The post Upper Brook Street 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.

The Greek design duo Objects of Common Interest presents a Cycladic-inspired collection in wood and acrylic, in an exclusive collaboration with Carwan Gallery.

Carwan Gallery is kicking off the new season this September with an exclusive collaboration with Greek design studio Objects of Common Interest, in Athens. The exhibition showcases Volax, a new collection of life-size lighting and seating pieces that marks the studio’s first ever use of wood.

The collection is named after a tiny village perched high on the wind-swept mountains of the Greek island of Tinos. Large, almost perfectly round grey rocks dot the plateau and slopes around the village, creating a stunning landscape that remains an unexplained geological phenomenon. The Volax collection is inspired by the irregular and bold volumes of these mysterious granite rocks, conveying through each unique object the aura and presence of the Cycladic landscape.

For the first time in Objects of Common Interest’s material language, the collection uses wood to introduce a highly tactile and sensual experience that transports the mesmerizing forms of Volax rocks into a domestic environment. Solid wood elements are carved into imperfect, rounded formations, often combined with rigid glowing acrylic volumes that emerge from within them or from the room elements in which they are placed.

The result is an engaging collection of centrepieces in the form of lighting and seating elements at various scales, whose perception changes as one moves around them. The Volax collection is a continuation of the studio’s ongoing interest in abstraction and exploration of forms and materials.

Installed across Carwan Gallery’s entire space like a sculptural garden, the exhibition Volax invites visitors to feel and explore each of the newly created objects from different angles, creating an almost immersive experience that plays with the perception of volume, material, transparency, weight and texture.

Objects of Common Interest

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

The objective of the redesign was the creation of an integrated living, dining, and kitchen space, separated by a pair of sliding 4m-long dividers; this achieved ample diffuse natural light in the interior.

The material and furniture selection creates a highly aesthetic space, with minimalist lines. The material palette is restrained yet powerful, including wood in various tones, metal, and marble in horizontal and vertical surfaces. This results in a comprehensive, contemporary design language in all spaces.

Large wooden tiles and recessed linear lighting highlight the austere geometry. Sound-absorbing surfaces on the walls, earthy tones and custom-made storage furniture in the rooms and corridors create practical, hospitable spaces. Further, the apartment was transformed into an energy-efficient, “smart” and sustainable house.

Oak, corian and onyx add luxury to the space, while austere lines and neutral colors result in an image of calm and relaxation. Color contrasts, faithful use of materials and reflections on glass surfaces and mirrors multiply the spaces and add a contemporary character.

Marios Chadoulos

The post Apartment Renovation in Larissa was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Located in an early 70s residential building in the center of Athens, on Didotou street, this project is about converting an apartment previously used as an office space, back to its original purpose, this time functioning as a short-stay apartment. Natural lighting enhancement seemed like an essential parameter of the re-design, and it was achieved by combining the kitchen, entrance hall and living room into one unified space, while artificial warm lighting compliments each separate room. The addition of an extra bathroom seemed necessary to serve the apartment’s needs as well as the creation of a master bedroom including the previous bathroom as ensuite. Bespoke structures that combine steel frames and lacquered wooden doors create additional storage spaces. The design approach references the character of the building while the colour and material palette, textures and shapes used, recreate that retro ambiance in a contemporary way.

Ghost Designers

The post Apartment Renovation on Didotou Street was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The project involves the redesign of the outdoor area of the “Coffee Avenue” café- restaurant, on the square of Nea Smyrni. The square has a marked commercial character, with many recreational areas, and is a meeting point for both locals and visitors. A substantial part of the square features the element of water, with a system of consecutive lakes with waterfalls and fountains, on many levels.

As the cafe extends upon the square, the intervention should not alter the identity of the area but should at the same time be separated from the adjacent cafes that are lined up next to each other. A challenging fact was that all structures had to be movable.

The design returns the private open-air space to the square. Benches either provide views of the sidewalk and the fountains or give more privacy. A central semicircular bench occupying the middle part, reminds the importance of socialization.

In addition to the reintegration of the coffee shop in the public space, extensive planting was introduced to provide the square and patrons with a small oasis, an urban graden that was missing from the square and the city at large. For this, plants were hanged from the wooden trellis but also placed on the backs of the benches.

Lighting plays an important role in the project, creating scenarios for all hours of the day, as well as for special events.

Labarch Design Studio

The post Coffee Avenue was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

3QUARTERS is one of the first innovative sustainable fashion accessories brands in Greece upcycling awning off-cuts. Within five years, the brand has reached an international audience and the need for a greater production necessitated not only a bigger production space but also a concept store that would highlight its outstanding local brand.

The architects worked on a limited budget, trying to fully endorse the principles of the brand on sustainability, locality, and the art of crafting. 3QUARTERS source all their raw materials locally and adhere to a policy of zero waste, making unique products in-house. Building on the idea of sustainability translating to a color, a 60’s green mosaic floor that is typical of that architectural era, was the trigger for this interior project. The 3QUARTERS workshop is a green box in downtown Athens resembling a green oasis in an urban environment. In other words, it is a sophisticated illusion of slow living and sustainable lifestyle.

Situated in one of the oldest neighborhoods of central Athens, keeping a simple design was critical for 3QUARTERS not only as a color statement but also as a shelter from the crowded and noisy flux. The showroom on the ground floor occupies two formerly separate retail units in a small alley of a mazelike urban artisanship environment.

The choice of the mint green aesthetics is what defined the interior renovation and the rebranding. The green color is linked to nature and vegetation and mint to tranquility, freshness, and well-being. The perception is, therefore, fresh, and relaxing, in contrast to the overwhelming graffiti-sprayed urban setting. This allows customers to feel like members of a mutually ethical community. The choice of a clean design works in two ways: it is a comprehensive canvas for an ever-changing colorful products collection, and at the same time it offers reassurance and motivation to people that ‘they are on the right path’. The tree-like Schefera Araliaceae plant concludes the notion of well-being, stimulation, creativity, inspiration and emotional comfort.

Maintaining the character of an industrial building, the green shelter box hides behind a dark grey steel glazing facade. The mint canvas is planted with steel hangers and infrastructure elements, all in black color. All furniture and storage spaces are custom made, built of lacquered mdf and natural oak top, forming a balanced earth – forest ambience.

Respecting the principles of the brand and being conscious of the environmental impact of any of our interior projects, we worked with efficiency by minimizing our waste and optimizing our resources.

indoor climate quality is achieved through natural ventilation. In addition, materials’ life expectancy and end-of-lifecycle as well as their maintenance were put into high-level design priority.

Asquiat Design

The post 3Quarters workshop and retail was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The Alchemia brand was created for a friendly facial and body care series for children and adults. The concept of pure, essential materials in simple volumetric configurations was the driving idea in the design in the lab and showroom of the brand.

The space is in north Athens and was a former architectural office, accessible through a courtyard adjacent to the street.

The interior design confronts the need for optimizing the soap production flow, providing easy access to materials (glycerine, fragrances, clay), facilitating storage and packaging of the final products. Concurrently, the space needs to be easily converted from a production lab to a showroom, reception, and meeting room.

Many pieces of furniture from the former architecture office were upcycled with minor modifications: the bookcase was converted to storage for fragrances, and the drawers were reused as a packaging surface. New furniture was designed considering functionality and flexibility, provided that the space needed to be multifunctional. The design was informed by a full production simulation process.

The main change was in the materiality of the space, with facing and cladding. All stable surfaces are faced in pressed cement, providing a sense of gravity, and moveable parts become distinctive, almost floating. The color palette is earthen, as a direct reference to the raw materials of the showcased products.

PS architectural studio
(Petroula-Christina Sepeta,
Alexandros Pantelidis)

The post Alchemia Lab + Showroom was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The apartment in the southern suburbs of Athens, with a total area of ​​165m², was a spacious typical apartment, built during the ‘90s. A basic design requirement was the remodeling of its functional structure, based on the needs and lifestyle of the new owners. At the same time, the main issue was the creation of a new Mediterranean character. The design has references to the landscape of the Greek Cycladic islands discreetly adapted to the urban environment to which it belongs.

The main idea was based on architectural simplicity, with clear, geometric lines, shaped by simple, imaginative, and functional customized structures. The reorganization of the floor plan of the living spaces of the apartment, through the demolition of selected walls, aimed at softening the boundaries between different uses. The new solution achieved the unification of spaces, visually and functionally, creating a common experience through the sequence of movements. At the same time, the uniform diffusion of natural light, contributes to the unification of spaces, allowing to increase the brightness in the apartment.

The choice of materials follows and consolidates the design idea. The choice of a wooden oak floor throughout the apartment, except for the bathrooms, in combination with the monochromatic walls, provides an excellent background for the handmade wooden structures in the kitchen and bedroom closets. The thematic curtain in the kitchen, the handmade knitted lamps from natural materials and the panoramic wallpaper in the dining room, enhance the composition.

The architectural gestures contribute to the creation of a new habitation experience, in a bright, natural, handmade, familiar environment with references from the habitat and landscape of the Cycladic islands.

INSiDE Architects

Ioanna Roufopoulou

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

The jewelry is in a central location in Nicosia, at Strovolos. The objective of the redesign was to merge three little shops into an integrated space, catering to the needs of the store.

The design creates a modern, timeless, functional exhibition space for jewels, informed by museum exhibition design in their placement and lighting; it also confronts the need of highlighting the company legacy, where architecture remains consistent with high-end jewelry design.

The guiding design idea elaborates on the reflections in the faceted surfaces of a diamond, materialized as recesses or protractions in space -horizontal and vertical on the facades and surfaces; those fundamental lines succeed in integrating volumes, facades, interiors, and materials. The material palette alludes to the first jewelry established by Mr. Michalis Evdokimou in 1968, in the narrow lanes of Strovolos.

The color palette relies on dark shades combined with the hues of gold, the latter being used in linear, floating elements that create balanced contrasts with their glow, as highlights in the intentionally dark space.

The lighting design creates a dramatic atmosphere, with exhibition lights on the display stands and low ambient lighting.

Upon entry, the central display stand immediately becomes the spine of the store, accommodating diamond creations, leading to the customer service and jewelry display section that leads to an area for having coffee with the jewelry staff.

A minimal dimension space, alluding to a museum shop, is used for private viewings of selected pieces, maintaining visibility with the rest of the store through a specially designed golden perforated screen.

AcA Architects – Renos Constantinou

The post Evdokimou Jewellery was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

EKEP was founded in 2018 as a transmitter of high-quality cultural commodities on the field of books and visual arts.

Located in Athens opposite the Kallimarmaro Stadium in a 1960’s high-end apartment, EKEPs space should reflect its high-quality background while at the same time propel an equal dialogue with the unique vintage qualities of the existing space.

Programmatically apart of the required offices, the new space should mainly house the 20.000+ books of EKEPs special book collection and create old paintings archive, preservation & restoration lab, a reading/studying room, a meeting/dining room, and a display corner for its limited book editions.

Minimal, full height libraries with continuous linear shelves running from on room to the other offer the illusion of a large, unified space while creating a warm atmosphere through its layout and materiality.

High quality craftsmanship and passion was a key role to this project as the contradiction of the contemporary design with the top-quality vintage architectural details was a real challenge. All the new furniture were designed from scratch in high construction detail to meet in balance with the existing vintage furniture of the foundation.

Athens Creative

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

The gradual ascent through the main staircase leads the visitor to the main open space facing the Amvrakikos gulf. The alignment and unification of the interior and exterior surfaces “opens up” the house to the unrestricted view towards the sea and the city of Amfilochia in the northwest.

The unobstructed and continuous connection with the horizon was the main principle towards the design and placement of the openings in the shell of the building. At the same time, the use of rectangular glass frames creates a transparency that aims to unify rather than separate.

The external space develops linearly as an extension of the internal space and the landscape develops linearly as an extension of the external space. The creation of spatial depth redefines the concept of interior – exterior, thus providing the feeling of being in a floating boat, constantly in motion.

The fragmentation of the clarity of the spatial boundaries and the integration of the movement of the elements of nature, frees the built space from the fragmentary perception of static points (corners, landscape, view) while the daily family activity is integrated and unfolds in a parallel way along with the alternations of the natural landscape.

This perpetual alternation of landscape, colors, light, shadows, shapes, led to the design attempt of integrating the space in the environment and not following a design approach towards a strict creation of visual frames, following a clear separation of private – public space.

The landscape is not approached as an exhibit in the eyes of visitors but the built space itself acts as a complement and is modestly exposed to this constant and alternating movement of the sea and the sky.

In this spirit, the main materials used were wood (oak), glass, metal, following a strict logic incorporating the concepts light – shadow (black – white).

Eliza Papadopoulou, Georgios Pontikas

The post Loft Design in Amfilochia was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The post KORA Bakery 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.

Designed by Italian architect Maurizio Lai, the restaurant is conceived as a real scenographic backdrop. An immersive space, characterized by dark colors, lines of light and a theatrical atmosphere, with a clever use of ceramics to emphasize the lighting project.

The compositional language is resolved in the material dialogues, in the design of the volumes and in the diffused lighting. 

The project, spread over an area of about 1000 m², is characterized by a large central light installation, accompanied by light geometries that create an effect of depth and dynamism. A chromatic continuity favors warm and dark tones, creating elegant, welcoming, and refined environments.

Maurizio Lai Architects

The post Sushi Club Cesano was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The housing block built in the 70’s on Joan Margall Street in Madrid, replicated the distribution paradigm of the time, managing to fit two bedrooms, a full bathroom, a living room and a kitchen in 40m2. The independent rooms strictly complied with the necessary functional minimums, reducing each one’ s potential size

The proposed transformation is radically opposed to this principle, dismantling the divisions between spaces and dissolving the limits of the uses associated with each of them. A central core integrates all the facilities of the house, being the toilet the only element that can be isolated. The rest of materials, uses and rooms merge and contaminate each other, so that the tenants sleep in the bathroom as well as they shower in the living room. A piece of white tiling symbolically marks the wet uses that are present throughout the house, completely coating the central piece and the floors near it.

BURR

The post JM55 was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The apartment building, following the requirements of the mid-nineteenth century, is dated between 1902 and 1903. It is an industrial building, marked by the proximity to the train station. The building has a free floor plan, built with several bays of wooden supports independent from the adobe block partition and its solid brick facades.

The intervention is characterized by the formal purification of the complex typology. The latter is the result of a long floor plan, with bedrooms and outbuildings attached to interior patios, but with two facades immediately connected to Muro and Gamazo streets. The east façade is used for morning light for the bedrooms and the west façade for afternoon light for the living areas.

The intention of the project is the complete liberation of the facades, integrating all the service spaces in the less illuminated areas, generating a central amoeba, disaggregated, raised a few centimeters for technical reasons, to absorb the irregularities of a singular geometry.

The rest of the house is resolved by means of two pieces of furniture. These pieces of furniture follow the privacy of the spaces: The first one, slightly thicker, is attached to the dividing wall of the building, marking the transition from the public to the private area (dining room-pantry-laundry-dressing room). The second is arranged like a herringbone (kitchen-hall-access cabinet-room) crossing the house through the central part.

The house responds to a contemporary way of life, eliminating the typology associated with the old ways of living, but, at the same time, incorporating inherited elements, such as the wooden supports, and the brick east façade or the views over calle Muro. This is intended to add a new layer, which does not completely erase the traces of the past but establishes a conversation, adding a new chapter to the contemporary discourse on housing.

Alvaro Moral,
Daniel González,
Manuel Cuadrado

Javier Bravo

The post Apartment in Valladolid was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

At the core of the historic and commercial center of Athens, in a modern building of the 60ies, architect Constantine Bouras designed an atelier for an artist, creating a bright open plan space which allows for unobstructed spatial and programmatic flows.

The atelier came to be from the combination of two highly compartmentalized apartment units into a sequence of open spaces, in order to cater to its new use as a creative space for painting and sculpture.

The atelier consists of the spacious main studio, for the production of paintings and sculptures, in continuation with which there is the artist’s office area and a sitting area. Adjacent to the other side of the main studio, there is an auxiliary studio, with shelving and archive cabinets – this can also double as a workspace or a gallery space, since its two doors have been covered with hinged panels in order to be used as vertical working surfaces or for the exhibition of art pieces. Where one of the apartments’ kitchens used to be is now the depot, used for storing canvases, materials, and tools. The inlaid marble backsplash of what-used-to-be the kitchen counter has been maintained as a trace on the wall, while the marble kitchen sinks have been repurposed in the bathroom and the main studio.

A major design issue was controlling the light from the harsh Athens sun, as the studio’s orientation is southeast, with continuous façade openings through which natural light bounces throughout the interior. The solution came through the installation of an aluminum louvers system, which can be adjusted in different positions, depending on the hour and the season, thus filtering the incoming light, and diffusing it as indirect light, ideal for painting. At the same time, adjusting the louvers at different angles allows managing the surrounding views and interacting with the urban landscape.

The possibility of continuously reconfiguring the studio space was also a design parameter. The workshop furniture was put on wheels, in order to be moved around easily. A wooden tabletop was adjusted on an existing metal drawings cabinet, converting it in a wheeled table, easily rolled and used in any part of the studio as a workbench or a collaboration table. Wheeled cubes that can be used either as seats, for storage, or as small work surfaces, are scattered throughout the atelier.

The use of a single color for the walls and the ceiling, and a color of similar tonality for the floor, created an atmospheric sculptured interior, where the typical boundaries of floor, walls and ceiling are blurred as the space is washed with direct or indirect natural light – thus creating a white canvas for the art.

Constantine Bouras

The post Art Studio in Athens was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The 130m² apartment is located in Papagou, a suburb of Athens. The apartment features large floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the living room, creating a space where natural light is predominant. The main brief requirement was to create an open, integrated space that could accommodate social gatherings.

For this reason, the existing partition walls separating the kitchen from the living room were demolished, creating an open floor plan for the living room and the kitchen. New white cabinets and a lapitec countertop were installed in the kitchen, emphasizing daylight and its interior reflections on white lacquer. The entire floor was dressed in American hard maple hardwood. All millwork details, including closets, cabinets, and small furniture were designed by the architect.

For furnishing, the open space and the white color were used as a background for a two-seat sofa and classic paintings from the owner’s collection, combined with contemporary design furniture.

Minas Konstantinou Architecture

The post White Box Apartment was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The all-day bar, on the ground floor and basement of a building on a busy street, bordering between the Realejo neighborhood and the center of the city of Granada presents volume and size restrictions: a narrow bay, deep section and only one possible access.

Considering the context, in an age dominated by social networks and individuality, to provide the place with a contemporary social character, it was decided to investigate one of the most popular types of vernacular architecture in the south of the Iberian Peninsula: the cave. This type of habitat was used as a natural refuge or as a home throughout history, in different cultures. Locally, it was the result of self-construction processes and topographic forms that, since the last century, have been linked to art and flamenco. This historical baggage makes the cave a contemporary cultural catalyst and a territorial symbol.

Social networks have given a new meaning to the experience of leisure, both in the user’s relationship with space and in the image that is transmitted. Leisure is no longer reduced to a shared moment but acquires the character of an event where the user is the protagonist. Ambrosía, in this case, is the scenographic staging that seeks to generate identity in the collective imagination of the city. It is through the changing lighting, the adaptable furniture, and the rough texture of the premises that the experience of freedom is achieved, in a space conceived to function at times as a bar, as a stage for concerts or a venue for screenings.

GRX Arquitectos

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

The clinic is located in Athens’ northern suburb of Maroussi, on the second floor of a 150m² open plan building, following the irregular shape of the land parcel.

The design negotiated the programmatic spaces for serving the essential functional and customized needs of a contemporary clinic.

The reception and waiting areas are centrally located, and around them various functional areas are distributed in two zones. The doctor’s office and examination room are south facing, while the main examination room is connected both to the doctor’s office and to the reception. Service spaces are north facing; the secretary desk and a secondary office are consecutive; next is the kitchen, the staff bathroom and patients’ w.c., accessible from the waiting area.

Both zones communicate through an interior corridor, providing staff with independence from the main axis of movement, crossing through the waiting area. The corridor is bordered with the exterior wall of the building and a translucent limit, bringing diffuse light into both spaces.

The entire space is considered as background for developing alternative routes and multiple stations. Reception, waiting, examination, movement, stationing, avoidance, isolation, meeting; the generated spatial qualities result from the complexity implied by the treatment of the layout limits, and by the materiality of the space. This way, the clinic becomes an enclave of diverse, parallel activities.

v+k architects

Dimitris Kleanthis

The post Clinic in Maroussi was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The Buchli, the Schärer family’s private residence, sits atop a small hill overlooking the company site in Münsingen, offering spectacular views all round. Named after the property’s field name, it was completely and meticulously renovated in 2019 to mark its 50th anniversary. The building was designed and constructed by Fritz Haller, one of the most influential Swiss architects of the 20th century. A pioneer of modular construction, Haller developed the MINI, MIDI and MAXI modular building block and installation systems, based on the principle of steel-framed construction. Haller and Paul Schärer jr. also applied this systematic approach to furniture design, creating the world-renowned USM Haller modular furniture system. 

The Schärer house was Fritz Haller’s first residential project to be based on a prefabrication system. It is located on a steep slope overlooking the company site. Positioned parallel to the slope, the rooms on the top floor of the house face the Aare river basin and open up on all sides. The house is accessed from above, with the driveway leading from the road to the covered parking area on the ground floor. The house is built on a support grid, which follows a 1:2:1:2:1 rhythm. On the ground floor, the middle axis serves as the entrance hall with a metal spiral staircase that leads up to the first floor, which is elevated atop columns. The basement houses an office and a guest room. On the first floor, the central installation and circulation area borders onto the kitchen and three north-east-facing bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. Extending to the south-west across the whole width of the building is the spacious open-plan living/dining area with a balcony. The outer axis also forms a balcony at the back. The built-in cabinets and central kitchen units were designed by Haller. Even the freestanding fireplace fits into the grid, just like the rest of the interior features, which were mainly built using the USM Haller modular furniture system. The tall, narrow, rectangular windows with a width of just 1.20 metres play a major part in shaping the building’s overall external appearance. The building was extensively renovated in 2019, while still maintaining the original construction principles and strictly complying with historic preservation guidelines. The Buchli is now used to accommodate USM guests.

Fritz Haller

vuotovolume Architekten

Simon Opladen

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

The 19th century, semi-detached Georgian property in Hackney was radically transformed, by further extending and updating of the existing garden studio to the rear. Located in London Fields and within a conservation area, the house forms one of several pairs of four-storey family houses and had previously being occupied as two individual flats.

From the outset, the client had a strong brief outlining what they wished to achieve and the first design challenge was to refine these into a series of coherent and feasible options addressing both the needs of the client, budget. The client was keen to be heavily involved in both the design process as well as the day-to-day matters affecting procurement and construction.

The first challenge was to design a highly modified, coherent layout to each floor, enabling better interaction between living spaces through a more open-plan living arrangement, increasing the passage of daylight to the rear of the lower ground floor. The floor level dropped to the rear and formed a rejuvenated outrigger with an aesthetic that heavily contrasts, yet complements the existing London stock brickwork. With openings scaled-up in proportion to those of the original building, the architects opted for one single, enveloping material to unify, punctuate and define the rear facade.

Being situated in a conservation area the use of weathering steel (aka. Corten) on such a dramatic scale could be considered to be potentially controversial however after seeking pre-application advice, London Borough of Hackney were supportive of the more contemporary addition. The reconstructed rear facade sits, grounded in a sunken, concrete-lined garden leading to a discreet yet spacious, larch-clad pilates studio beyond.

Internally the new double-height space to the rear features a monolithic cast in-situ, concrete staircase linking the upper floors with the split-level lower ground floor in which the kitchen, family living spaces form the heart of the home. The interior palette serves a backdrop to the clients own art/sculpture collection with the decor and muted chalky wall finishes not seeking to dominate. Characterful oak floors and oversized rugs add another layer of patina and texture. Throughout internal rooms feature bespoke joinery with marble-lined vanities set against metallic and tactile brassware to each of the four bathrooms.

The ground-back concrete staircase ascends from lower ground to ground floor, from where a fully plastered, solid balustrade folds its way vertically serving the upper three floors. This dramatic centrepiece with oak stairs opens up on each landing offering glimpses into each room through the full-height door openings. The master suite takes over the first floor providing a spacious dressing room and calming Tadelakt lined ensuite with central free-standing bath.

Extensive works to the garden and pilates studio to the rear have sought to bring harmony to the main house and studio, linking both with a naturally weathered larch walkway which drops down into the sunken rear patio. The planting seeks to blur the edges between hard and soft landscaping, affording the occupants the most use of a relatively compact rear garden.

deDraft

The post AC Residence was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Typeroom© is a creative space, inspired by typography and the graphic arts. Recently, it moved to the historical center of Athens and showcases the award-winning work of Parachute© type foundry.

Through a well-laid out timetable covering a wide range of art and design sectors, with a series of events, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and multidisciplinary platforms, the Typeroom© becomes a meeting point for domestic and international creatives.

The space, giving off an industrial feel, is conceived to showcase the dynamics of typography. Typographic forms, complexes and characters are employed in the design of typographic elements whose scope goes beyond ornamentation.

The Typeroom© transforms letters and the art of typography into physical objects that people can touch and interact with. Upon entry, visitors immediately experience physical applications of type, pressing upon a wooden letter “e” to open the door to the building.

The materials used for signage are oak and metal, both inside and outside the building, establishing a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors.

Furthermore, typographic elements can be encountered throughout the entire space: An oversize capital “omega” is used as partition between the exhibition area and the offices, while the letters “delta” and “beta” become lounges.

As about lighting, a N-shaped neon installation is placed on the office wall, transmitting warm, red light.

The Typeroom© is located in the Psirri district, in the heart of central Athens, at one of the oldest and busiest parts of the city. The choice of location came as a result of the wish, and need, to participate in a conversation with other designers and urban creatives, welcoming all who wish to discover and interact with the art of typography.

K-Studio

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

“Feels like home” was the driving concept for this project. The design maximizes functionality despite the small size of the space, confronting the need of the company to serve as many people as possible. Thus, by using a curve, two comfortable areas are created: A small one for the reception, and a bigger one as the waiting area. Moreover, another essential point was to keep an extrovert character, consistent with the need for the company’s brand to be visible from the main hall.

The different types of seating, such as the couch, the armchairs, and the chairs with tables, as well as two libraries -a smaller one, and one that covers the whole wall- give the impression of being inside one’s own living room.

Black marble on the buffet counter completes the space, enhancing it with a touch of luxury, which is a usual requirement in business lounges. Finally, the extensive glazing next to the armchairs completes the design by providing visitors with an endless view of the sea.

Eleftherios Tsikandilakis

Pentaprism

The post Goldair Lounge was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The prominent position of the bar in Pirgos, Greece, benefits from focused perspective views over the central town square, and its good orientation allows the use of natural light; this context, and the owners’ desire for clear, singular lines in the interior, provided the framework for the design elaboration.

The layout places the bar and the cellar in the middle of the composition, creating a memorable identity. The monolithic bar bench, made of natural stone in emerald color, and its framing by the wooden cellar, designed to be organically integrated into the space, is combined with the distinctive metal roof that mirrors natural light, entering the space through clerestory windows during the day.

Artificial lighting involves a flexible “lighting scheme”, adaptable to the changing activities during night and day. Warm grey tones are selected for the walls and come into stark contrast with the predominantly green and ash-colored floor; this way, different zones between the bar and the lounge frame the furniture, as a response to the brief’s requirement of creating a hospitable, entertaining ambience.

ARCHE Architecture & Design Laboratory

The post TEN10 Wine Bar was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The Banema concept store in Lisbon was designed to be a materials showroom and a design products store, in a single space that shares two very different activities with different products, rhythms and customers. The space is organized along a piece of furniture that meanders through the space, designed from a module that is repeated, creating areas for sharing both activities, meeting spaces and exhibition niches.

The showroom’s display wall is continuous and takes advantage of the entire store, allowing flexibility in organizing and the disposal of large products.

Campos Costa Arquitetos

Francisco Nogueira

The post Banema Concept Store was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In this detached duplex of the Rosemont district in Montreal, the owners wanted to transform the ground floor and the semi-basement to make it their home. The second floor was preserved for their tenant. A garden was also to be laid out all around the building as well as a terrace in the back, connected to the living area.

The architects first sought to reorganize the partitions to obtain fluid circulations and spaces that are well-proportioned, clean, and uncluttered.

Several new openings have been made in the exterior walls to illuminate the space at any time of the day. They also opened the floor to create a large double-height space for the new staircase, thus reinforcing an impression of continuity between the two levels. A large piece of satin glass between the office and the stair allows these spaces to benefit from the light coming from the neighboring space while ensuring privacy.

The lighting has also been thought of from a functional point of view but also for the ambiance it can create and also for the beauty of the object itself in space.

For this project, the architects have designed several elements of integrated furniture that meet the needs of the clients in their daily activities. The built-in furniture also acts as a partition and defines the space.

Great care is taken in detail and in the choice of materials. In this project, white oak, polished concrete, and white or anthracite lacquered panels are the main materials used.

Continuity of materials throughout the house also contributes to an impression of fluidity between the spaces. The woodblock, made with white oak panels, which borders the corridor on the ground floor, turns into the living room and becomes a service cabinet for the dining table. Likewise, the white lacquered panels of the built-in kitchen furniture become the covering material of the staircase walls and descend to the basement.

Other materials are added to the palette of the project, such as the brass lighting fixtures or the Bianco Carrara marble mosaic that covers the surfaces of the bathroom on the ground floor.

Polished concrete is also found in several places in the project. It is used as a slab poured on-site but also as elements cast and polished in the workshop to make wall panels as well as steps and stair landings.

In the basement bathroom, these polished concrete wall panels are also used, as if the floor were rising on the walls. The bathroom is visually split in two: the concrete dry area with its white oak vanity, and the wet area covered with small white ceramic tiles.

Paul Bernier Architecte

The post 10th Avenue was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In downtown Athens in the Exarchia district, Arcore engineers designed and carried out the refurbishment of an 75m² apartment.  The flat lies on the second floor of an early 70ies apartment block.

The initial layout was totally reorganized to suit the needs of a young couple and meet their aesthetic criteria. The original floor plan consisted of an entrance hall, a closed off kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms and a bath.  In accordance with the proposal, the new layout includes an open space kitchen -living room, one bedroom and a bigger bathroom. The living room is separated from the bedroom with the use of steel frame & glass sliding doors, which, when left open can add up to the open space of the living room. Moreover, through the glass doors, natural light can flow through and give a uniform level of light in the living spaces. The final proposal was based on the initial concept, which was the creation of an open living space, where there are no limits depending on the use of each space. The wooden floor is preserved and is combined with grey and wooden elements. Bicolored walls are proposed as an abstract reference to the aesthetics of the 70’s. Colour is also chosen for the bathroom. As for the furniture and the frames of shutters, natural materials and simple lines have been selected.

Arcore Engineers

Manolis Symeonidis

The post Apartment Renovation in Exarchia was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Built in the early 1930’s, the building is a typical example of Athenian Art Deco. The symmetrical windows that emphasize the vertical axis, combined with the richly ornamented doors and iron railings, add up to a certain monumentality. In addition, the corner balcony uniting the two protrusions of the home’s exterior wall, otherwise known as erkern, along with the rooftop pergola, are quite popular architectural features during the Art Deco era in Greece.

The architectural studio was tasked with renovating the building and developing the interiors with a contemporary feel, while preserving its historic character. Keen to retain the building’s original features, the exterior was refreshed and painted in different shades of almond green, which were intentionally contrasted with the dark red exterior doors and the grey framed windows. Old wooden windows were updated with identical steel ones, while the exterior doors were replicated and repositioned in place.

The building hosts two residences. On the elevated ground floor, there is a two-bedroom apartment featuring a small courtyard in the back. The building’s first and second floor houses a two-level apartment starring a spacious terrace with an oak pergola and views across the city center’s rooftops. The interior design proposal focused primarily on the split-level apartment which was intended for a couple and their two children. The building’s Art Deco heritage, along with the neighborhood’ s vibrant and creative atmosphere, provided rich inspiration for our design.

In harmony with the owner’s wishes, we attempted to balance elegance with functionality, ensuring that all spaces were used effectively. The layout of successive rooms was maintained, and the only intervention carried out was the removal of a dividing wall between the kitchen and the dining room in order to create a large, comfortable, bright space with an open, welcoming feel and functionality. The green sage cabinets and white marble countertops are in dialogue with the surrounding floral patterned floor tiles, while wood prevails in the dining area, decorated with vital indoor plants.

Prior to its renovation, the building was found in a good but time-worn condition, so many of its original features had to be restored or replaced. Existing oak flooring was cleaned, polished and varnished, while plaster details with elegant neoclassical motifs on all the ceilings were preserved.

Particular significance was given to interior design, which echoes the Art Deco style in shades of greens and blues, combined with wooden and metal details. Patterned tiles, terrazzo, marble, geometric shapes and brass details have been used as a modern interpretation of the ones that would have appeared in the original building over ninety years ago.

The residence has been transformed into a welcoming space for family and friends, and therefore all materials and furniture were chosen to create a warm and cozy ambiance for everyday family moments. Ultimately, the flexibility of the adapted new style and its ability to offer a comfortable and intimate atmosphere, respectfully redefine modern Athenian eclecticism.

Theta Tris architecture

George Sfakianakis

The post House renovation in Koukaki was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

PPP1 building is part of the wider project of reusing the former facilities of “Papastratos” in the area of Agios Dionysios, in Piraeus. It is the first of seven buildings of Piraeus Port Plaza, a silo with tobacco warehouses, which was reconstructed in 2018 and converted into a green, LEED certified office building of 10,000m² with two floors and a capacity of up to 1,800 workstations.

KN Group, as a strategic partner of Teleperformance Greece in the development of its professional premises, undertook the elaboration of the building and spatial planning study, the technical specifications, the high supervision of the reconstruction, the Concept and Interior Design, the Branding Implementation, and the supply of equipment.

The aim of the design is to preserve the industrial architecture that prevails in the area, featured on the exterior of the buildings, and to benefit from the rich natural lighting and ventilation, which allows the sea breeze to pass through to the interior of the building.

Based on Piraeus, the shipyards are an important reference for custom-made furniture and equipment. In this context, the spatial networks of pipes create a continuous, multiform, and versatile structure throughout the floors, inspired by the forms and materials that are often observed on ships, but also the colors of the archipelago.

PPP1 launches Teleperformance’s new optical corporate brand identity for the first time worldwide. New design principles, new shapes and colors, a new logo with no precedent-setting examples, and practical solutions were the challenge for the KN Group that created a narrative of the new philosophy throughout the building using modern technologies, such as multimedia devices and units, and LED display. The umbrella sculptures in the central open-air space of PPP1, which take off the corporate identity of the customer, are now a landmark of the area.

The project turnout ensured a modern and functional work environment, which keeps each employee happy and serves the corporate goals.

KN Group

The post Piraeus Port Plaza 1 was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The project provides the proper setting for showcasing clothes and accessories by the company, by means of its spatial organization, which is dominated by a curved wall, as well as by its selection of materials, including glass, marble, and wood.

The returning idea of oscillation, both as movement and as weightlessness, bestows “life” upon the fabrics themselves.

A semi-transparent curved wall creates distinct spaces on its sides, organizing random vanishing points between them. Glass tubes, suspended from the ceiling, allow openness or privacy, according to the users’ needs and to the position of the onlooker.

The walls are undulating, while the glass partition and the marble entrance sign fold, providing a sense of plasticity, as a reference to the qualities of classical Greek architecture. Indirect lighting and the mirror in the background create an optical illusion, increasing openness.

Geometry, select materials, and the optical illusion, compose a space marked by fluidity.

En-Route Architecture

The post Best of 2020: Zeus and Dione was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The proposal considers the product unit as a structural module, whose repetition generates architectural space. The vertical and horizontal surfaces resulting from spatial analysis were grouped in pairs of differing materiality and function. The metal mesh, designed to receive sunglasses, mirrors, and corporate logos, was produced by the multiplication of a module in the scale of a pair of glass frames, alluding to the archetypical bricklaying module in a running wall. Scattered existing drawers were assembled into a vertical storage and display unit, folding to create the floor. The reflective surface of the mirror, wrapping around the mezzanine, multiplies space; in combination with the linear reflective surface on the floor, this generates an endless multiplication of the grid. The façade, a double, illuminated screen of white and copper perforated metal in the shape of the grid, stands as preface to the interior. Lighting follows the same abstract principles, transforming existing surfaces into integrated lighting devices.

Mold Architects

The post Best of 2020: Centro Ottici was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The new art gallery is located in one of the most picturesque quarters of Piraeus, among old warehouses and workshops. Guided by the identity of the exhibition space as a “white box”, the design employs clean, austere lines, in a minimalist white background. The space alludes to a white canvas for highlighting the exhibited artworks, and the architectural composition establishes a quiet dialogue between modern and new. In this framework, the façade maintains its original appearance, and so does the century-old wooden roof, lit from below; those elements are brought into contrast with the acutely angular white walls underneath. The choice of the cool grey cement floor, combined with a few more extravagant touches in the bathrooms, further contribute to this goal. The white perforated metal sheet mezzanine and stairs, despite their modern appearance, allude to local metalsmith workshops, which had an active role in the construction of the project. This discreet architecture reflects the conversation between contemporary art, sheltered in the exhibition space, and the features of the urban surroundings.

Kokorelia Architects

The post Best of 2020: The IntermiΣΣion was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In a conscious move towards revitalizing the center of Athens with adaptive reuse of old buildings into the urban and social fabric, POTAMITISVEKRIS law firm chose to establish their offices in a listed neoclassical building in the historical center, featuring important 19^th century landmarks, such as the Athenian Trilogy -comprising the Academy of Athens, the National Libraby and the University- by the celebrated architects Christian and Theophil Hansen, and Ernst Ziller.

The building was designed in 1928 by the architect Kostas Kitsikis, a collaborator of Ludwig Hoffmann, who made a substantial contribution to the modernization and international propagation of Greek architecture. It consists of a ground floor, a basement, and six floors, with a total surface of 2500m². The conservative, monolithic facades conform to the neoclassical tripartite structure –base, shaft, and crown- and incorporate the morphology of Belle Époque combined with Art Deco elements: Sculptural, ornamental motifs, cast iron railings, and Art Nouveau details.

In contrast to the facades, preserved in their original state, the interior was radically remodeled during the 1980ies, with all its elements removed.

The new interior design is informed by the materiality and morphology of the entrance vestibules of the first apartment buildings that appeared in Western Europe by the beginning of the 20^th century, and it follows the tripartite structure of the neoclassical facades.

The “base”, on the ground floor, is the threshold to the building and hosts the reception area. The main design gesture there is the marble floor, bearing a motif that alludes to the entrances of town houses of its time; the geometrical pattern unfolds across the entire ground floor area. Vertical partitions with reflective bases, mirror the pattern, creating an illusion of levitation. The reception desk, with its reflective surface, becomes virtually invisible. Multiple reflections generate a diffraction effect with multiple geometries shifting according to one’s position in space. Each room is marked by its specified color. Artworks are mainly photographic, depicting contemporary Athens.

The “stem” consists of five floors, accommodating offices; the latter are separated with double feather white membrane panels with a transparent base, becoming opaque towards the center, generating overlapping reflections and transparencies. Neither isolated in a closed space nor exposed in an open-plan office, staff enjoy a diffuse lighting environment and remain protected behind a “veil of fog”, perceiving other people as shadows of passers-by in the city. The monolithic, bespoke secretary desk stands prominent, drawing from the forms of interwar janitors’ booths.

The library is custom-designed, hand-made by artisans, and becomes the main collective workspace, equipped with more than 5000 volumes.

AKA – Apostolou Kolaki Architects

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

Vienna and Linz-based practice destilat completely reorganized and redesigned Weinmanufaktur Clemens Strobl in 2019, as the centerpiece of a historical 4,000-m² ensemble that includes business premises and a manor house in Kirchberg am Wagram (Lower Austria).

The interior design distinguishes itself with building-block-like cubes, light as a central design element, grey in all its nuances, and aesthetics that highlight the work processes involved in wine-making. A vaulted cellar, tasting room, kitchen, and office form massive spatial components that are interwoven into the structural shell, define spatial borders and take over several functions.

The vast open spaces between these components make them usable in many different ways and provide a big stage for light and all its effects. Exposed concrete walls, polished concrete floors, grey varnished spruce wood, anthracite-coloured Eternit, scaled steel, glass, and grey-washed brickwork – that is the combination of historic and modern materials characterizes the interior design, as its reduced colour palette brings out the fine nuances of the materials’ aesthetics.

Elements of industrial architecture underline that these premises are used for work; the characteristics of the wine as a natural product are translated in a puristic and simplified way, with a sober charm. These aesthetics also have a significant impact on the outdoor areas.

The project is the winner of the Large Workspace category at the 2020 Dezeen Design Awards.

destilat design studio

Monika Nguyen

The post Weinmanufaktur Clemens Strobl was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The house is located in a street where terraced houses have the same frontage, as well as the same layout. A narrow and dark entrance led the residents to the stairwell, to which the living areas were linked. The kitchen and technical room were in a dilapidated extension. Despite the south-facing garden, little light was one of the drawbacks of the house; moreover, because of the many lowered ceilings, the rooms felt confining and a lot of space was used up for circulation, and the stairwell.

During the renovation, a lot of attention was paid to preserving the existing structures. The characteristic existing woodwork above the suspended ceilings has been left visible, and the structural brick walls add more texture to the house. The existing layout was virtually preserved, but by changing the circulation newly functional spaces can be used for living and / or storage. All attention was focused on making unusable spaces usable and livable again.

The new extension has a sloping volume that follows the line of the plot and functions as an urban interweaving between adjacent properties. The sitting area and dining area were housed in the lowest level so that the residents are immersed in the atmosphere of the garden. The transparent extension, consisting of 2 levels with large windows, was provided with a loft, allowing abundant sunlight and open the views of the garden. While the loft opens the house upwards, it also offers a beautiful view for the various rooms.

Inside, existing wooden beams and the existing brick walls provide a nice contrast between the light wooden construction of the extension. A tiled floor provides an additional contrast between old and new. Throughout the house, sturdy materials are combined with soft, light ones: For example, the kitchen is clad in green, moisture resistant MDF, in combination with a stainless-steel worktop. The slats add texture and play with light.

On the way to the first floor, there is an office that overlooks the loft and the garden; the master bedroom enjoys the same advantages. The bathroom / dressing was linked to the master bedroom, which includes bathroom cabinet, in order to minimize unusable corners and circulation.

The second floor, the attic, has been completely opened up and divided with a glass partition that is equipped with 3 sliding doors. The doors give out to an extra bathroom and a multipurpose room that is designed to be divided into 2 children’s bedrooms.

The atmosphere and design of the garden is inspired by a journey of the residents to “Termas Geometricas” in Chile, where peace and nature prevail.

mcdm atelier

The post Rearranging Circulation was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The cocktail bar Bardem is situated in a first-class location in Helsinki. Many office buildings, but also shops have settled there and offered the varied potential for appealing gastronomy concepts. For the studio Fyra, the challenge was to transform a two-storey former sales area into a bar concept which literally captivates the guests, but at the same time also offers an opportunity to retreat from the hectic pace of everyday life.

They decided to centre the room around a large bar and make it the heart of the entire interior concept. Especially the curves of the bar, which were covered with wooden panels with a light, honey-coloured finish, catch the eye. Perfectly arranged spirits, together with stylish, painting-like wall decorations, complement the generous bar counter.

The mysterious appeal of a Speakeasy Bar is enhanced by the subdued, atmospheric lighting and the dark colours of the interior. A curtain-like navy-blue background in a velvet look exudes a touch of classic theatre charm, while deeply upholstered furniture invites guests to sink in and relax. The interior combines old and new in a natural way, curtains and recycled furniture (newly upholstered) lend the room softness and intimacy. The subdued lighting also offers protection from prying eyes and gives the guests the peace to relax.

A special highlight on the wall was created by Fyra with the help of ceramic tiles, which were produced by long-time firing in a classic tunnel kiln. The studio used the tiles in different colours and played especially with the exquisite high-gloss glazes. “The tiles play an important part in our interior concept, as they bring life to the dark, dimly lit room”, explains Laura Järvinen, the interior designer in charge of the project. “The high-gloss surface perfectly harmonizes with the soft shapes and materials we used in this bar. We also arranged the tiles in several horizontal rows and used a colour gradient to create a perfect visual link between floor and ceiling.”

Fyra chose the colours mid-grey, olive-green flamed and benit-blue. The centrally inserted strip tiles with wave profile (also olive-green) give the wall a rhythmic three-dimensional structure and create different visual effects, depending on the incidence of light. Well-balanced, the upholstery of the bench, the wall lamps and the folds of the multi-layered curtain hanging above it adapt the texture of the strip tile format. The result is a new, stylish yet casual cocktail bar and a unique, harmonious “total work of art”.

Fyra

The post Bardem Helsinki was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.