Workplace Advanced within the coronary heart of Athens – Initially in-built 1977, overlooking the statue of Alexander the Nice and near the Pillars of the Olympian Zeus, an workplace constructing on 40 Vasilissis Amalias Avenue is lastly gaining a brand new narrative after it was burned and vandalized in 2010. Situated in a prestigious space of Athens, the imaginative and prescient behind this mission revolved round reusing & restoring the town’s 70s asset, by giving it a brand new id whereas permitting the deserted constructing to change into a office vacation spot. Benefiting from our metropolis’s heritage and permitting its buildings a second probability was the frequent purpose of A&M and ZOIA.
Architizer chatted with Michael Mavroleon, Founder and CEO at A&M ARCHITECTS, to study extra about this mission.
Architizer: What impressed the preliminary idea in your design?
Michael Mavroleon: The start line of the design was the placement of the mission and the intention of making a dialog between the constructing and the Historic Heart of Athens as a result of proximity to essential monuments of classical antiquity. We centered on the event of the constructing envelope, the traits of the brand new façade emphasizing on preserving the transparency and guaranteeing a panoramic view to the neighboring historic middle, the Olympian Zeus temple, the statue of Alexander the Nice and the Nationwide Park. To filter pure lighting and defend the constructing from robust daylight, a second pores and skin was designed utilizing the proportions of the “golden ratio”, an archetype of geometry, explicitly created to embrace the communication with the traditional monuments of the realm whereas honoring the reminiscence of the unique architectural language of the 70’s.
© A&M ARCHITECTS
© A&M ARCHITECTS
What do you consider is probably the most distinctive or ‘standout’ element of the mission?
The principle function of the constructing is its second pores and skin which unfolds on all 3 elevations of the constructing setting a recent dialog with the rhythmic monumentality of the traditional temple. This component incorporates varied shading elements of various sizes, kind and density relying on the practical and thermal wants of the constructing. The totally different units of the façade shading use vertical louvers positioned in a means that enables effectively distributed shading within the morning but in addition directs the person’s views to the neighboring sights. On the remainder of the envelope, vertical blinds rhythmically begin to change into thicker in line with the “Fibonacci Sequence”.
© A&M ARCHITECTS
© A&M ARCHITECTS
What was the best design problem you confronted through the mission, and the way did you navigate it?
The constructing, which was initially constructed in 1977, was deserted for the final decade due to a fireplace breakout. In the course of the design course of, it was necessary to take away and reform all reminiscences of the present situation of the constructing. The problem revolved round renovating the constructing by creating each a recent and practical area, that will not lose its authentic character however would serve right this moment’s quantitative and qualitative wants. A attribute instance of such challenges is the automotive raise designed on the basement, permitting the constructing to satisfy with right this moment’s day by day requirements and infrastructure necessities. In the identical tempo the renovation was primarily oriented to create a sustainable, value saving, inexperienced constructing and obtain a LEED certification by introducing new development strategies, low emitting supplies and power saving installations.
© A&M ARCHITECTS
© A&M ARCHITECTS
How did the context of your mission — environmental, social or cultural — affect your design?
The environmental and cultural context had been very vital for the principle idea of the mission because the constructing is in a historic space, close to a number of the most necessary archaeological websites of Greece. This reality occurred to a difficult allow process with the native authorities investigating how the constructing will influence the views of the historic websites of the town. One other essential design standards was the will of the proprietor to create a sustainable and price saving inexperienced constructing not solely to adjust to right this moment’s sustainability requirements however to additionally create an instance of reusing and restoring such buildings in Athens.
© A&M ARCHITECTS
© A&M ARCHITECTS
What drove the number of supplies used within the mission?
The supplies and colours of the façades had been pushed by the aesthetics of the Athenian historic middle. The neighboring coloration palette and the ultimate synthesis of elevations of Amalias avenue had a crucial position within the supplies choice. On this means, tones of beige and white had been chosen with the intention to mix with the environment and permit the archaeology monuments to face out.
What’s your favourite element within the mission and why?
One thrilling component was the applying of the outside shell lighting, which provides the façade a special perspective and remodel it to a pole which magnets the pedestrian’s views through the vibrant nightlife of the avenue. Vertical linear lighting highlights the ratio of the louvers reworking the constructing at night time.
© A&M ARCHITECTS
© A&M ARCHITECTS
How necessary was sustainability as a design standards as you labored on this mission?
Sustainability was one of many primary objectives of this mission. The glazed envelope sustaining the views high quality, together with the second pores and skin utilizing totally different shading units relying to the pure daylight wants of the façade, was the foremost design option to this path. Moreover, in each step of the way in which and each materials alternative was examined by these standards.
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In what methods did you collaborate with others, and the way did that add worth to the mission?
The collaboration of the design groups (architects, civil engineers, MEP engineers) with the proprietor (ZOIA) and the PM crew (Hill Worldwide) was glorious, all through the design levels. Each Civil (Elliniki Meletitiki) and MEP engineers (Kravvaritis & Companions) totally supported the A&M Architects’ design intentions and thru their thorough investigations and research we managed to revive and remodel this previous, deserted constructing to a novel working hub in probably the most central a part of Athens. Different disciplines that added experience and worth had been the Lighting design crew (IFI) and the Sustainability consultants (DCARBON).
© A&M ARCHITECTS
What key lesson did you study within the technique of conceiving the mission?
As designers we skilled the enjoyment of rehabilitating an previous, destroyed, and uncared for constructing into a brand new, up to date, and noteworthy one which shall be quickly occupied by new tenants. Key classes had been all of the tough design selections we needed to make regarding the facades of the constructing as we needed to face a number of the most necessary juries of the city authorities as a result of proximity to the classical monuments.
How do you consider this mission represents you or your agency as an entire?
A&M has a large expertise in Workplace Buildings and Office tasks over the past 40 years. A number of the tasks we undertake are newly constructed and a few others are both repurposing/renovating or match outs. In all of those tasks, we proceed to search for a story, connecting our work to the advance of individuals’s lives, spent throughout the areas we design. This particular mission just isn’t solely designed to enhance the tenants’ day by day lives within the office atmosphere. It additionally signifies the trouble of an awesome crew and consumer in reusing an current asset constructed within the 70s, minimizing the deserted and unused constructions of the town whereas giving again to Athens, a sustainable, value saving, inexperienced constructing. We hope that we’re ready to do this with all tasks our workplace undertakes.
Crew Members
Michael Mavroleon, Esta Georgala, Marika Mavroleon, Anna Stratoudaki, Mary Dialektaki, Stavros Zotos, Kleanthis Kravvaritis, Achileas Gonidis, Nikolaos Dourambeis, Dimitris Efstratiadis, Vasilis Lagios, Sophia Baglatzi
Consultants
A&M Architects, Kravvaritis & Companions, Elliniki Meletitiki, IFI Group, DCARBON
For extra on Workplace Advanced within the coronary heart of Athens, please go to the in-depth mission web page on Architizer.
Workplace Advanced within the coronary heart of Athens Gallery
