A Residential Building of Curved Geometry in Athens

Located in the northern suburbs of Athens, Chiven by The Hive Architects is a residential building that balances architectural precision with the fluidity of form. Through clean geometries and curved surfaces that appear shaped by wind and light, the project develops as a dynamic composition of volumes, avoiding static expression and encouraging the continuous movement of the gaze.

The building, with a total area of 770 sq.m., is expected to be completed in 2028. Its architectural language is defined by strong horizontal lines and soft, curved envelopes that wrap around the interior spaces, shaping both the façade and the experience of inhabitation.

Horizontal Layers and Curved Envelopes

The main architectural gesture is expressed through successive horizontal layers and curved edges that soften the building’s volume. These curves are not treated as formal decoration, but as spatial devices: they guide movement, frame views and produce a changing play of light and shadow across the façades.

As the sun moves throughout the day, the building’s surfaces respond through reflections, shadows and shifts in depth. The result is a residential composition that changes gradually over time, giving the building a sense of movement despite its compact urban presence.

 

Interior and Exterior in Continuity

Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between interior and exterior space. Transparent railings reduce the sense of boundary, allowing light to penetrate deeper into the building and reinforcing the visual continuity between living areas, balconies and the surrounding environment.

Large balconies extend the apartments outward, offering generous outdoor living areas. The building is organized as a vertical sequence of private and semi-open spaces, where each level maintains its autonomy while contributing to the overall continuity of the composition.

Water, Light and Bioclimatic Character

Elevated pools and water elements operate as mirrors of the sky, enhancing a sense of lightness, calm and suspension. Water becomes a key compositional element, contributing to the atmosphere of the project and reinforcing its bioclimatic character.

The interplay between water, light and curved surfaces gives the building a softer presence. Instead of relying on mass and opacity, the project works through reflections, filtered light and the modulation of outdoor thresholds.

 

 

Earthy Materiality and Planted Terraces

The material palette remains discreet, based on earthy tones where textured surfaces meet smoother finishes. This controlled material language supports the building’s formal clarity, while giving depth and warmth to its curved geometry.

Attention to detail is expressed in the curved endings of the slabs, the continuity of the horizontal lines and the integration of planting. Greenery softens the geometry and introduces the idea of elevated gardens across the upper levels, bringing natural elements into the vertical development of the building.

A Roof Terrace as an Elevated Place of Retreat

The composition develops vertically through successive levels that ensure privacy while maintaining visual continuity. At the top, the building is crowned by a generous roof terrace, conceived as an elevated place for relaxation.

Openings filter the light and create focused visual escapes, transforming the roof into a protected outdoor space. In this way, the building extends the idea of residence beyond the apartment itself, proposing a layered experience of domestic life.

 

 

Contemporary Urban Living

Chiven reconsiders contemporary residential architecture through a balance of simplicity, technology and natural elements. The project does not seek to impose itself on its surroundings, but to enter into dialogue with them through form, light, water and planting.

The result is a residential proposal where architecture becomes both sensory and functional: a building shaped by movement, material restraint and the search for a more fluid way of living in the city.