oikonomidisarchitects

A multi storey commercial building, dividable into retail shops of various sizes, with a four-storey underground car park. All the shops have individual access from the pedestrian promenade along the front of the building, but their size and number of the floors can vary.

The site is located at the commercial centre of an expensive suburb of northern Athens. Our design had to cope with the integration of the new building into its neighbourhood, while also maintaining compatibility with a large building of a supermarket situated in front of it.

The long structure was divided into cubes that match the size of its neighbouring buildings, while the large glass window of the front facade, favoured for its northern exposure, stretches the length of the whole. An equally large perforated inox curtain-wall shades the south façade, hiding the exterior fire-exit walkways and the m/e installation racks located at the back of the building.

This interplay between division and continuity held a key role in our design. In conjunction with a flexible m/e installation design, this dual design accommodates the versatility required, allowing freedom to divide the building’s volume into shops of various shapes and sizes.

The distinctive building of the café-restaurant acts as a link between the large commercial building and the smaller neighbouring structures.

The carbon black colour of the façade panels serves as a neutral frame for the colourful contents of the commercial windows.