House On Top by ISV Architects, Athens

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
This recently completed townhouse by Athens- and London-based practice ISV Architects sits in a strategically located plot in the city centre that benefits from both the Greek capital's vibrant urban life and its peaceful parks and historical ruins by the Acropolis.
Perched on a sloped site by Philopappos Hill, the house was designed for a professional couple who decided to set up base in Athens, following a lengthy stint spent working abroad. The owners' requirements were clear; a flexible layout was at the top of their list, in order to allow future change. They also sought a refined, yet understated design that would be 'solid, yet informal; minimal, yet cosy'. Their hands-on approach meant that they played a key part in the building's design. 'It was team work from day one,' recall the architects.
Making the most of one of the plot's most enviable features - its panoramic view of the Athens basin that even stretches out to the sea in the distance - the architects (headed by Tasos Sotiropoulos, Babis Ioannou and Alexander Van Gilder) designed the house with an upside-down internal arrangement. The common areas, include living, dining and kitchen spaces, are placed right at the top of the structure, opening up to a magnificent terrace and pool deck. The two levels underneath contain bedrooms and a playroom, hidden behind a layer of vertical rotating cedar louvers. These also open up to a Japanese-inspired garden, while a lower level houses the car park.
A rounded, black matte metal staircase spanning the structure's three levels is not only the house's main circulation hub - a discreet elevator is also in use - but also a dramatic sculptural focal point for the interior. 'A project within the project, the residence's staircase is conceived as the main theme of the house's spatial structure,' say the architects. Its subtle elegance is complemented by the house's muted colour palette and simple yet sophisticated materials, such as off-white plaster, bleached oak surfaces and exposed concrete.
The architects - headed by Tasos Sotiropoulos, Babis Ioannou and Alexander Van Gilder - designed the house with an upside-down internal arrangement
The common areas, include living, dining and kitchen spaces, are placed right at the top of the structure, while the two levels underneath contain bedrooms and a playroom, hidden behind a layer of vertical rotating cedar louvers
The living space opens up to a magnificent terrace and pool deck
A rounded, black matte metal staircase spanning the structure's three levels is not only the house's main circulation hub - a discreet elevator is also in use - but also a dramatic sculptural focal point for the interior
The house's muted colour palette features simple yet sophisticated materials, such as off-white plaster, bleached oak surfaces and exposed concrete
The owners' requirements were clear; a flexible layout was at the top of their list, in order to allow future change
The plot's most enviable feature is its view of the Athens Basin
The outdoor area blends with the interior and Athenian backdrop
The owners also sought a refined interior that would be 'solid, yet informal; minimal, yet cosy'
The kitchen provides a welcoming communal space, opening up to the rest of the top floor
A small library overlooks the central staircase
A small library overlooks the central staircase
The garage takes over the lowest level of the house
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).
-
Poetry meets performance in Julianknxx’s film installations at Barbican’s Curve
Julianknxx opens his solo show ‘Chorus in Rememory of Flight’ at Barbican’s Curve, London
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
São Paulo Biennial 2023: activism, repressed cultures and South America’s art history under the lens
The 35th São Paulo Biennial considers ‘Choreographies of the Impossible’ as the theme. Amah-Rose Abrams reports on what to see
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Jacqueline Rabun’s sculptural jewellery design goes on show in London
‘Jacqueline Rabun: A Retrospective’ opens at London’s Carpenters Workshop Gallery
By Hannah Silver Published
-
KKMK, Greece: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023's newest entry is Greek studio KKMK, behind projects such as this minimalist haven in Athens’ Psychiko
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Syros house is conceived like a small Greek island village
This Syros house by architects Block722 is a holiday home in Greece, designed like a small island village
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Kythnos Island house offers a 21st-century take on the local vernacular
A Kythnos Island house, Piperi, is a contemporary Greek home by Sigurd Larsen drawing on its location's vernacular
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Ridge House flows in the spirit of its Antiparos Island landscape
Ridge House by AREA, Architecture Research Athens for Oliaros Development is a Greek retreat, perfectly embedded in its Antiparos island setting
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The Social Athens makes waves in the Greek capital
The Social Athens by OOAK architects opens, featuring a distinctive wavy façade and an interior that balances social life and seclusion
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Athens in 2023: architecture and creativity are on the up
Athens is enjoying its very own metamorphosis with a plethora of recently restored buildings, large-scale projects and fresh new openings
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Peninsula House is a timeless piece of Greek island architecture
Peninsula House, Atelier Bow-Wow’s latest collaboration with developer Oliaros, is a free-flowing, art-filled holiday home on the Greek island of Antiparos
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Art1 Office is an Athens workspace reborn
Architecture studio Neiheiser Argyros meticulously revamps an Athens workspace through colours and shapes in Art1 Office
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated