Trail Practice

Trail Practice, an architecture and design studio based in Athens, is composed of a team spanning multiple design disciplines and scales, founded by Manos Babounis. The team views space as a dynamic, ever-evolving landscape of interactions, with design extending beyond three dimensions to focus on the relationship between place and person. Know-how, an unconventional gaze toward the existing, and respect for user needs -together with a love of detail and respect for the environment- are the studio’s core design tools for every project.

S.M.: How did your involvement with hospitality/restaurant spaces begin? Which landmark examples marked your path, and in what ways?

Manos Babounis: Our work with dining spaces reflects our practice’s broader philosophy. Our aim is to create spaces that encourage human connection and retrieve memories, functioning as places of collective interaction. Our design evolves as a constant negotiation between public and private, introverted and open to the city, innovative and timeless. Nolan, in Syntagma, which marked the beginning of our engagement with hospitality, was born in 2016, during a period of social and economic fluidity. It was the moment we were called to overturn conventions, creating a space that reflects its time while also offering a sense of the familiar. The urban landscape was our primary field of inspiration. We drew materials, textures, and techniques from the city’s contrasting facets -from the entrances of 1970s Athenian apartment buildings to the metal scaffolding that supports the façades of neoclassical buildings.

We used these elements in non-conventional ways, redefining users’ relationship with space. For example, terrazzo- a material one would expect to see on the floor -was placed on the ceiling, imparting dynamism to the space and a sense of movement and flow. Projects followed such as Theophilos in New York, Proveleggios in Kerameikos, and Ypseli in Paris, each in its own way capturing our design intent. With Theophilos, the need to create a space within a different cultural and geographic canvas pushed us to explore new design approaches, while Ypseli, housed in a historic 1836 building, allowed us to relate historicity to the needs of contemporary life. Each project became a milestone -not only for its capacity to influence our design qualities but also for the technical challenges we had to confront. In all cases, our primary concern is that the user remains at the heart of the experience.

S.M.: By what means can a distinctive brand identity be expressed in space? What methodologies do you follow to arrive at the necessary deliverables each time?

M.B.: Creating a brand identity in space requires a multidimensional approach aimed at generating a total experience. Image, atmosphere, scent, texture, and the emotion the space evokes all combine to form a multisensory environment that gives tangible form to each brand’s essence. We believe branding doesn’t need to be loud.

We seek for the space to “speak” through details, materials, and their composition. This composition, moreover, transcends the physical boundaries of spaces and becomes an architectural vocabulary that allows the project to function like a world within other worlds. Our method begins with mapping the brand’s identity, which we ensure is expressed distinctively and ultimately woven organically into the atmosphere of the given shell -its historical references and aesthetic values- into a coherent architectural narrative. Original thinking, though not an end in itself, serves as a tool for conveying each project’s distinctiveness. This process demands the harmonious convergence of architecture, interior and industrial design, and graphic design, unifying different scales in a complementary workflow. Deliverables are shaped according to each project’s and client’s needs, including elements that ensure functional performance and aesthetic integrity. Maintaining the “backstory” of each project -as a core design principle serving commercial objectives- is a challenge that inspires us.

S.M.: In your work you often create custom constructions. What advantages does this kind of design offer, and what difficulties have you encountered? Can you mention some examples?

M.B.: Custom constructions are among our most dynamic tools for enriching spatial experience and the narrative that accompanies it. They offer opportunities for experimentation while strengthening a project’s “script” in ways that off-the-shelf solutions cannot achieve. On the other hand, custom solutions come with significant challenges. Developing new implementation methods and addressing technical constraints require flexibility and perseverance. Nevertheless, each custom construction expands the team’s knowledge and skills, while also creating the element of surprise that gives a space its identity. A characteristic example is the door of Nolan in Syntagma, which bears a markedly Doric character that turns it into a key compositional element interacting with the city.

Read the full interview in ek issue 294 | January – February 2025.