Ioannina Archives | ek magazine | Architectural Publications

Thalen Apt by Pantazi5 Architects in Ioannina

stavrosek — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 05:31:02 +0000

This article by stavrosek was published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications.

A 1970s Apartment Reworked for Contemporary Living

Located in a prominent 1970s building in the city of Ioannina, Thalen Apt by Pantazi5 Architects is a 74 sq.m. apartment renovation designed for a sociable couple. The project brings together childhood memories, the existing character of the apartment and a forward-looking approach to everyday domestic life.

Rather than erasing the memory of the original space, the redesign acts as a bridge between what the apartment already carried and the future patterns of living it now needs to support. The result is a compact interior that combines hospitality, practicality and carefully controlled material contrasts.

One Intervention, One New Living Core

The project focuses on the apartment’s living areas. A single change to the existing plan allows previously separated rooms to merge into a more connected and functional layout, creating an extended naturally lit space that becomes the center of the home.

This new living core accommodates everyday use, gatherings and flexible domestic routines. It is organized not through rigid partitions, but through material definition, visual continuity and a clear relationship between open, transparent and enclosed zones.

Open, Glass and Wooden Areas

The unified space is visually divided into three distinct areas: the open area, the glass area and the wooden area. These correspond respectively to the living room, the kitchen and the service zone, which includes storage and a WC.

Although strongly differentiated in tone and texture, the three areas flow into one another. Existing uses, such as the dining area within the kitchen and the arrangement of the living room, are preserved and reworked, while new functions are introduced to support the apartment’s more practical and hospitable character.

Green Marble and a Parametric Mirror Installation

The open area forms the main living space of the apartment. Closely connected to the kitchen, it also provides access toward the private areas through the service zone.

Clad with green marble flooring, the bright living room includes furniture made from reused materials of the existing apartment. A parametrically designed mirror installation becomes the space’s most distinctive intervention, framing specific views toward the neighboring neo-Byzantine monument of the Zosimaia Educational Academy.

The Kitchen as a Transparent Room

The kitchen is part of the same unified living area, but it is defined through a glass screen that maintains visual contact and interaction between the two zones. Transparent and opaque cupboards form a flexible arrangement that supports both cooking and dining.

Black granite worktops give the kitchen a strong material presence, while light grey tiles and black steel shelving complete the palette. The shelving adds a sculptural quality to the room, while also functioning as storage.

Iroko Wood and the Introverted Service Zone

Next to the transparent kitchen area, the wooden zone is the most introverted part of the apartment. Finished with upcycled iroko wood from the original apartment, it accommodates storage and a WC, while also mediating access to the private rooms.

Through this compact service core, the renovation adds functionality without fragmenting the new living area. Thalen Apt therefore becomes a careful study in how a small apartment can be reorganized through one precise spatial move, turning existing materials, memory and contemporary use into a coherent domestic environment.

The post Thalen Apt by Pantazi5 Architects in Ioannina was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Oxygen in Athens

Giannis — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 11:31:35 +0000

This article by Giannis was published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications.

Oxygen, with its singular, contemporary architectural design, and noted environmental awareness, will be the first BREEAM-certified housing development in Greece. Being the first development of such a scale in the post-pandemic era, it will showcase the changes brought about in the way we live and work, as an innovation.

Holistic, Sustainable Architectural Design

Oxygen, with a view over Athens’ Olympic Sports Complex, comprises 32 one, two, or three-bedroom apartments, developing on one or two levels. Oxygen is the most vital element in nature, defining our quality of life. In that spirit, the design features an architecture that addresses health and wellness, sustainable innovation, eco-friendly materials and construction methods, water and waste treatment, in a holistic manner, beside a robust, aesthetic result.

BREEAM International Certification

The project has already been awarded with a BREEAM Certification from the construction stage, and it will further be evaluated in post-construction. Control by the British independent organization BRE, which has already granted certification to several projects in 89 countries, guarantees quantifiable results, both during design and construction as well as during the operation time of the building. Close collaboration between the architects, the engineers, the developer and environmental consultants, the local community, the city authorities, and the tenants, has been a prerequisite and an innovation in the local framework.

Contemporary Architecture and Quality of Life

The design of the building is inspired by the elements of nature, such as water, soil, and the sky. The undulating façade on the balconies creates green spaces and separates the apartments. The Y-shaped columns allude to tree trunks and underline the sustainable character of the building. Large openings, private gardens on the ground level, and generous balconies equipped with planters, provide quality of life, and make sustainable design immediately perceptible by the tenants, beside low energy consumption.

Entrance Design

The entrance to the building is given particular attention: The double-height pilotis features circular steppingstones which float on a water surface, dotted by an eclectic selection of plants. More than creating a spectacular setting, such gestures are substantial: they mark the symbolic and functional threshold between the bustling exterior and the intimacy of domestic space.

Planted balconies and sustainable strategies

Small orchards on the balconies allow the tenants to cultivate their own herbs. Electric charging, available in all parking slots, recycling and composting infrastructure, as well as a special system for monitoring each apartment’s consumption by digital application, count among the sustainable strategies that encourage the tenants to adopt a contemporary, eco-friendly lifestyle. All apartments are equipped with a smart home system, smart lighting, security shutters, wakeup/sleep and arrival/departure scenarios, voice commands, and smart switches.

Private and Public Outdoor Spaces

Private and public outdoor spaces were given particular attention. An open-air sheltered gym surrounded by greenery is available for the tenants only, year-round. Further, an enthralling open-air sheltered space with vertical gardens was designed for socializing. WiFi and plugs are available in this area, creating a suitable environment for outdoor home office use, which supplements the fully equipped home offices in each private apartment.

Architecture After the Pandemic

The design was carried out during the pandemic, therefore Pieris Architects focused on reinventing the typology of the Greek apartment building to confront the present and future lifestyle requirements. Having spent long days inside due to lockdowns and working from home, all have realized the importance of every corner of the house. Pieris Architects created functional spaces with warm colors and textures, ample storage, and ergonomic kitchens. The lighting design maximizes the use of natural light and secures optimal thermal comfort for the tenants.

The collaboration between Pieris Architects and Sustain developers aims to make a landmark of Oxygen, and to provide a model design for sustainable contemporary housing developments in the post-pandemic era.

Pieris Architects

Sustain

Sane Industries

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

Naiades Boutique Hotel

Giannis — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:37:23 +0000

This article by Giannis was published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications.

Boutique Hotel Design with a Bold Color Palette

The new 8-bedroom boutique hotel is located in the center of Ioannina in Greece, in the historical castle district. The design highlights transitions through contrasts: The lighting, colors, and materials change as visitors cross through the space. Old and new, hard and soft, urban and traditional– these principles abound and flourish throughout the building. Colors are used emphatically, ranging from light and dark green, pastel purple, light pink, and blue tones.

The Entrance and Lobby

The facades are painted a dusty pink shade, which creates an interesting contrast with the dark blue wooden doors. At the hotel’s entrance, guests are greeted by a double-height lobby with pastel purple and white background walls, rounded columns, and modern chandeliers hanging from the roof. Green marble covers the reception counter.

Hotel Room Design

On the ground floor and first level, the guest rooms feature colorful selections with custom made furniture. Oakwood flooring and furnishings, velvet curtains and metallic bedside tables create a playful scenery. Ample windows let in plenty of natural light.

Covered and Open-air Patios

From the inner balcony on the first floor, the wooden roof is visible; large mirrors which reflect the pendant lights, wall lamps, and contemporary paintings create a narrative scenery. From the ground floor, stairs lead down to a stone courtyard at the back of the building where light metallic chairs and marble tables offer an open-air intimate space for breakfast.

Dining Area Design

A moody color palette has been applied throughout the main dining area in the basement of the hotel. Walls have been loosely rendered with grey plaster and most of the floor has been clad with dark grey tiles. Deep red, pastel green, and bright yellow furniture add a splash of color. Marble and wooden tables, velvet armchairs, wooden bookshelves, contemporary lighting, and candles create a whimsical interplay of colors, textures, and shapes. The main dining table is positioned alongside the wooden bookcase; the armchairs are clustered around the central fireplace and other tables are positioned alongside the open kitchen painted in pastel green tones with brush detailing. The bookcase furniture with a sitting spot creates a more intimate corner. The space is complemented by a series of unique carpets with traditional features.

Amalgama-Architects

The post Naiades Boutique Hotel was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.