Uninterrupted flows

The “One Athens” residential complex situated at the foot of Lycabettus hill, constitutes an iconic building for the city and its architecture. The modernist building was designed in 1957, by the prominent Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis, and was fully completed in 1971.

 

Design Philosophy

The building served as the Doxiadis Associates headquarters till the late 1990s. In 2014, the listed office complex was transformed into a residential development, introducing a new building type and scale to the city, which is primarily dominated by the ‘polykatoikia’ typology. The complete renovation of the 5th-floor apartment aspires to accommodate the needs of contemporary living, while respecting the existing architecture.

 

Spatial Organization

The reorganization of the ‘L’-shaped plan is simple and explicit: an open public zone, includes the dining, living and kitchen area as well as an office extension that leads to a private zone, which includes a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet as well as a secondary a guest bedroom. The intentional absence of walls enhances the idea of a fluid, flexible and continuous space. Scattered full-height, translucent sliding panels made of glass and timber divide the rooms offering enclosure and privacy. In parallel, the large terrazzo floor slabs delineate a seamless surface enhancing the space’s continuity.

 

Existing Facade

The building’s original, modular façade design used to serve corporate office needs by filling the space with abundant yet filtered Mediterranean natural light and controlled natural ventilation. Today, the new open plan organization connects the two glazed wings of the ’L’ shaped apartment: the one facing towards the central atrium and the other towards the street. As a result, the apartment enjoys the unobstructed immediacy to the eminent Athenian context and the lush Lycabettus hill as well as the southeast views of the Acropolis and the Saronic Gulf, visible through the polykatoikia rooftops.