An existing, half-finished concrete shell in Athens’ swanky Kifissia neighbourhood has been completed and transformed into an elegant residential building of twin residences. The boutique development, for Malo Development and designed by Athenian architecture studio Block722, combines refined urban minimalism, calming interiors, natural colours and materials, and a sharp, bespoke grid, which defines its exterior.
The high-end building sits on a long and narrow, double-aspect plot beside a popular square in the area's heart. Set back from the street, and cleverly featuring bespoke fencing and a garage entrance at the front, the homes remain calm and quiet inside to promote privacy and serenity for their owners.
One of the residential units occupies the two lower levels of the building, and the second is situated on the upper two levels. An open-air terrace, landscaped with planting and seating, crowns the structure, offering long views of the neighbourhood and Athens’ skyline beyond. The garden at the rear, similarly landscaped, blends native planting and crisp, paved areas in natural stone.
The structure's façade is a centrepiece, crafted from a bespoke timber grid and textured, dark plaster created locally by expert craftspeople ‘to mirror the interior’s key colours and materials', explain the architects. The grid adapts to the front and rear façades and becomes balcony balustrades where needed, while maintaining the overall visual aesthetic.
Inside, surfaces feature luxury materials such as travertine, marble, and dark woods, used in an understated way; the sophistication is a signature for Block722, which featured in the Wallpaper* Architects Directory in 2016. Large openings bring in plenty of sunlight – something Athens offers in abundance – while cleverly designed artificial lighting enhances certain areas, creating the impression of natural lighting throughout. This allows the homes' calming minimalism and effortless interiors to take centre stage.
INFORMATION
-
Alexander Wessely turns the Nobel Prize ceremony into a live artworkFor the first time, the Nobel Prize banquet has been reimagined as a live artwork. Swedish-Greek artist and scenographer Alexander Wessely speaks to Wallpaper* about creating a three-act meditation on light inside Stockholm City Hall
-
At $31.4 million, this Lalanne hippo just smashed another world auction record at Sotheby’sThe jaw-dropping price marked the highest-ever for a work by François-Xavier Lalanne – and for a work of design generally
-
NYC’s first alcohol-free members’ club is full of spiritThe Maze NYC is a design-led social hub in Flatiron, redefining how the city gathers with an alcohol-free, community-driven ethos
-
Tour an Athens penthouse – its designers’ own ‘house in the sky’This penthouse by Block722 is the architecture studio founders' own home and shows off impeccable detailing and dreamy, airy vibes
-
Explore a refreshed Athens apartment full of quirk and midcentury characterA 1960s Athens apartment is revived by architects Aspassia Mitropapa and Christina Iliopoulou, who elegantly brought its midcentury appeal to the 21st century
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s favourite July housesFrom geometric Japanese cottages to restored modernist masterpieces, these are the best residential projects to have crossed the architecture desk this month
-
A new Athens gallery is a celebration of old and new, a stone's throw from the AcropolisNew Athens gallery Melas Martinos by Local Local is a contemporary art space, a stone's throw from the Acropolis, in the Greek capital's Monastiraki neighbourhood
-
A clifftop Rethymno house tells a story, framing views as far as the Libyan SeaThis house in the Rethymno region of Crete, designed by architects Gkotsis Serafimidou, is rich in local and natural materials – an oasis at which to disconnect
-
A retro video game is the unlikely inspiration for this island house in GreeceDesigned by ARP, this island house on Antiparos is a contemporary Cycladic home inspired by Tetris
-
A Costa Navarino house peeks out from amidst olive groves to ocean viewsThis Greek holiday residence designed by K-Studio balances timeless design principles with modernist touches
-
A breezy Greek island retreat lets the outdoors inOpen to the elements, an island retreat in Corfu by Invisible Studio was designed to suit the local climate, using metal mesh screens rather than windows
